It wasn't the story he wanted to tell his children when they asked how they'd met. And yet, his own parents had pretended they were man and wife as they made their way to Oregon. But theirs was a story of adventure and love. Not of being holed up during a blizzard.
He glanced at her from the kitchen. "You relax. Tonight, I'm taking care of dinner."
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I'm feeling better."
"It's no big deal. I'm use to cooking for myself."
Funny how he'd never planned on living alone, and yet, here was a single man. He'd never planned on leaving The Dalles until Catherine had made it impossible to continue living there.
While he prepared cornbread to go with their chili, she sat staring out the window. "It doesn't seem to be snowing as hard."
"It's not."
Staring out at the white landscape that was as far as she could see, she turned back to him. "Are those mountains in the distance?"
"Yes, you haven't been able to see them because of the blizzard. But it seems to be letting up and tomorrow, after I feed the cattle, if the snow is not too deep, we'll try to make it to your uncle's. I'm sure you're ready to get there."
He watched as her eyes widened and she smiled. "Great! I can't wait to see them. Christmas is soon and after the first of the year, I'll be heading back to New York City."
Seth felt a pang of pain near his heart. What was the matter with him? At first, he hadn't even liked her, but now, well, she was growing on him and the thought of being so far away left him sad. She had a life there, a big time career working for some fancy newspaper. The memory of kissing her in the barn returned like a slap to the gut and he quickly focused on pouring the cornmeal mixture into a pan. That kiss was better than any he'd ever experienced before. Better than even Catherine's kisses.
"Tell me about your job in New York City."
She glanced at him working in the kitchen, her green eyes dark with mystery, not excited like he'd expected her to be when she spoke of her big career.
"When I graduated college, I wanted to be a journalist with the largest newspaper in America. And that's where I'll be starting to work in January when I get home."
Something about her story seemed too perfect, too exact, and she didn't seem excited that she would be writing and reporting for a world-renowned paper. But then again, he'd never read the newspaper. Occasionally, he'd pick up the local paper in town when he was looking for new livestock or needed something in the want ads.
"What will you write about? Current affairs or an article for ladies?" he asked, curious about what she would be covering for the paper. He hadn't gone to college, but a friend of his had covered the farm news for an Oregon paper and he'd often wondered how he came up with what to write about.
"I don't know," she said evading his question. "They haven't told me."
Twisting her hands in her lap, she glanced out the window again. "What about you? How did you get to be a rancher?"
Sighing, he put the cornbread into the oven and then sat across from her in a rocker he'd made himself. It had been a project to keep him occupied two winters ago so he wouldn't concentrate on feeling so alone. Maybe after Everleigh left, he would talk to James, her uncle, about who in town he could court. Maybe it was time he tried to find love once again.
"I had been courting a girl for over six months and asked her to marry me," he said quietly. "My parents had a ranch just outside of The Dalles, Oregon, where I'd grown up. I'd gone to school, church there, and this girl was a member of our community. Everyone said we were going to be so happy. A week before the wedding, she expressed some doubts, but I just thought she was nervous. We were attending big parties, family gatherings and bridal showers, so we were both overwhelmed with the wedding."
Leaning his head back against the rocker, he took a deep breath and released it slowly. He hated talking about this time of his life and didn't even understand why he was telling Everleigh.
"The day of the wedding arrived and I was so excited. We would start our life together. My parents had given us ten acres to build a house on their spread. I woke up feeling like it was going to be the best day of my life," he said with a chuckle. "All the people we knew were seated in the church. I walked out the door to stand beside the preacher."
He hesitated, hating what he would say next, remembering the nerves that had gripped him, but the excitement as well. "We were all waiting for her to come down the aisle. But she never showed. Her father finally came and told me she was missing. He couldn't find her."
Her eyes grew wide. "What happened to her?"
"She eloped with a man she'd only known a week. A man she'd met while volunteering at the school. The worst part was she didn't cancel the wedding or let me know. She embarrassed me in front of the whole town."
Seth ran his hand through his hair, leaning back in the rocker, he moved the chair with his legs. When he'd left Oregon, he'd sworn never to talk about Catherine again, but here he was, telling Everleigh about the most humiliating day of his life. He'd loved Catherine, but time and distance had made him realize the break-up was for the best.
"That must have been terrible."
"The whole town pitied me. When people looked my way, they remembered me as that poor boy Catherine left standing at the altar. I was no longer Seth Ketchum, Rachel and Wade Ketchum's son. I was that young man jilted by Catherine."
She stared at him, her face reflecting exactly how the people in town had treated him. But this time it didn't bother him.
"What did you do?"
"After two months, I had to leave or go crazy. My father had given me two horses as a wedding gift and I packed my saddle bags and headed for South Dakota. But then I came across this property for sale by an old man who could no longer take care of it and bought the land and house from him. I've been here ever since."
Sitting with her feet tucked up underneath the skirts she wore, her hair loose about her shoulders, her dark emerald eyes gazing at him with empathy and kindness, she was beautiful and she was dangerous. Her womanly scent mixed with roses and lavender reached him across the room and he stared at her full lips so rich and inviting that he wanted to taste them again, but knew that was not a good idea.
"She was a fool," Everleigh said suddenly, her voice a breathless rush. "To give up a man like you for someone she'd just met. I bet she's regretting her decision at this very moment."
He shrugged. "Don't know and don't care. I've put her in the past and moved on."
It was true. He had moved on, but he hadn't searched for anyone else. Maybe it was time. Before he fell for someone he knew he couldn't have. He stared at Everleigh.
"So why haven't you found someone else?"
"I've been busy. That first year, I had to rebuild the barn, stock it with hay and get prepared for the winter. Slowly I've been building my herd and trying to fix up the place. You're the first woman who’s been here."
Silence filled the room as she stared down at her hands. Then she looked up at him. "Are you ever going to marry?"
Of course, he was, but he wasn't a man who jumped into something without knowing what he was getting. But he also wasn't a man who was easy to get to know. And yet with Everleigh, it hadn't been hard. Sure, at first, they'd butted heads, but they'd also been facing a life-threatening situation, which had put them both under a lot of stress.
"Someday, when I find the right woman," he said, gazing at her, wishing for just a moment that they had a chance. How had he gone from complete dislike to suddenly wishing he could take her in his arms and express his growing feelings. But she was different from Catherine. She wasn't the girl he'd assumed she was when she got off that train. No, she was better. "I want a family."
"Me, too," she said. "I didn't realize how much I wanted children until my own family was killed. But now, I'd like to have a husband and children of my own."
The sound of the bubbling chili splashing on the stove had him jumping up and running into the kitchen. Why did it seem
they were both yearning for the same things except she wanted hers over two thousand miles away with her career.
Somehow, he had to forget all about Everleigh and get her to her uncle's as soon as possible, before his heart was broken once again.
Two days later, after supper, Everleigh felt the need to get up and help Seth. Aunt Flo had come and gone and she was back to normal. It wasn't like this didn't happen on a regular basis and next time, she would remember the hot toddy. Unfortunately, the snow had continued to fall, though not quite as hard. Sooner or later, it had to stop. It just had to as every day spent with Seth sealed her fate.
"You don't have to help me," he said. "Go, sit down."
Glancing at him, she stared into his dark blue eyes and full lips, remembering how it felt when he'd smashed her against his chest and kissed her senseless. Why did she long for that again? "I have to do something. I think I'm getting cabin fever. I just can't sit here anymore."
He smiled. "Understand. Then you can wash and I'll dry."
"That works."
He poured the hot water into a big dishpan and added soap. Handing her a rag, she started with their silverware. "I can't believe you cook and clean for yourself."
"Who else is going to do it? It's not like I can hire a maid, and no woman is going to live out here without a ring on her finger."
The thought of another woman in the cabin filled her with jealousy, which was ridiculous. Tomorrow, she'd go to her uncle's and they could hopefully pretend nothing happened and soon she'd return to New York and he'd be here in Mistletoe.
Chuckling, she turned to him. "I guess not. Very practical, Seth."
"That's what my mother used to say to me. I was the practical one of her children."
How lucky he was to have brothers and sisters. She'd never thought being an only child was bad until the death of her parents when there had been no one to share the grief with. No one to talk about the good times. Sure, she had friends in New York, but no family. Not even an aunt or uncle.
"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"
"There are the three orphans Toby, Grace, and Daniel who are just like blood brothers and sisters. Then I came along next, then there was Sarah, Mary, Walker, and Joseph. Eight children all growing up together. Our house was quite a circus, but we were surrounded by love."
The thought of a home filled with eight children was something she couldn't even comprehend. But it sounded fun.
"Wasn't it hard to go off and leave them all behind?"
"It's the hardest thing I've ever done. I miss them and my parents, who are getting up in years."
"You're so lucky. I don't have any brothers and sisters. In fact, I was born late in my parents’ life. They had been married fifteen years when suddenly I came along." Sometimes she wondered if she wanted to return to New York just because that's where her roots were. That's where memories had been made and she felt obligated to return there. Yet, it was also where her career would begin.
"I hope to go see them sometime soon."
"Who will take care of your ranch? You can't go off and leave the animals alone," she asked.
"I've grown enough that I hope to hire some hands next year. Right now, your uncle is kind enough to help me out, but after my bull gored him, I doubt he's going to be available again."
"It was your bull that hurt my uncle?"
For her uncle to come help Seth, he had to be close to Seth’s ranch. So close, but yet so cold and snowy and far away.
"Yes, the bull has his own pasture, but he likes to come a calling on my heifers."
She started laughing, the idea of a bull making a call on a lady cow, ridiculous. "Of course, that was before all the snow."
"Yes," he said quietly.
She reached around him to wipe off the table and bumped against him, her breasts brushed against his arm, sending a delicious tingle zipping along her spine straight to her groin. She gave a little gasp and glanced at him to see if he noticed. His eyes darkened and his lips squeezed together tightly drawing his cheekbones taut.
Since the day he kissed her, there seemed to be this awareness coursing between them that had her on edge, trying to avoid his touch, his smell, the very memory of his kiss.
Seth was a rancher. She was a suffragette, a long way from home, from her friends. Yet she wanted to explore those full luscious lips of his and see if she'd react the same way or was it just a coincidence that when he was near, she'd almost gone up in flames.
He moved closer to the cabinet to avoid her and she quickly wiped down the table. Turning back, he stepped backward and bumped into her chest, almost knocking her down. He grabbed her arm to keep her from falling. This kitchen was so small, two people could barely maneuver.
"Excuse me," he said, gazing into her eyes.
His fingers still gripped her by the arm as they stared at one another. He licked his lips and then he was crushing her against him, his mouth covering hers, sealing them together, taking her like a raging storm. Demanding, crushing, and yet tender at the same time. He kissed her like she'd never been kissed, sliding his tongue along her lips, tormenting her, making her ache with need.
Cradled against his pelvis, she could feel the rigid hardness of him and was shocked at the wantonness. Yet a part of her also wanted to push toward that male hard flesh that seemed so intriguing. Moaning a rough, brusque sound, he deepened the kiss until she thought she would faint. His strong, tanned hands gripped her head and held her lips captive as he plundered her mouth.
Suddenly, he stopped, his breathing harsh, his eyes glazed as he looked at her, his swollen manhood still firmly planted between her thighs.
"I've got to get out of here," he gasped.
Releasing her, he stepped away putting distance between them. Distance she didn't want. She wanted to continue what he'd started. She wanted to feel what happened next. She wanted Seth in a way she'd never imagined wanting a man.
Grabbing his coat, he yanked it on. "Don't come looking for me. I'll be out in the barn until late."
Shoving his hat on his head, he walked to the door and then glanced back at her. "Goodnight."
Standing there with the dish rag still in her hand, she watched him walk out the door, feeling stunned at what had just happened. Sure, he'd kissed her before, but this time it had been different. It had been intimate and left her confused and frustrated and angry.
She threw the rag at the door. Why had he stopped?
Chapter 5
The next morning, Seth tromped through the snow to the barn and swung open the door. The bone-numbing cold settled in around him as he pushed the sled out of the barn. Tiny flakes of snow still fell in the dawn light, but they may have been from the light breeze that stirred the drifts.
He had to get Everleigh to her uncle's. She couldn't stay here a moment longer or he feared the ramifications of them being together. The attraction between them was getting out of control and he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep his hands to himself. And then there were the consequences of them being alone. She'd been here almost a week. Time was running out on them and he had to get her to James’s house or be forced to marry her.
Pulling the sleigh out of the barn into the early morning sunshine, he went back for the horses. Several minutes later, he had them all hooked up and ready to go.
Going into the house, he knocked on her bedroom door. It was still early, but after last night, he wanted to get on the road as soon as possible. They were less than an hour away and it was time. This attraction, like a small keg of dynamite, was just a short fuse from going off, damaging them both.
"It's early," she called through the door, her voice groggy. His mind pictured Everleigh in her night clothes, her hair tousled, her gaze sleepy, and for a moment, he wanted to open the door and climb in that warm bed. His insides twisted into a hard knot of desire. Thoughts like this were the very reason she had to leave.
"The sleigh is ready. I'm taking you to your uncle's this morning,"
he called, wishing she would hurry before temptation overwhelmed the sensible, rational part of his anatomy. With the snow piled deep, it would take them longer to reach her uncle's. For his own sanity, he had to get her out of his here.
"I'll be right out," she said, sounding more alert.
Ten minutes later, she rushed out of the room, breathless, beautiful, and damn tempting. "I didn't know we were leaving this morning."
"The weather looks decent and I thought we should try," he said, putting as much distance between them as he could. Just gazing at her full lips and remembering how they tasted was a distraction he didn't need. "Christmas is a week away. You should spend as much time as possible with your family."
And let him recover from her nearness.
Grabbing her coat, she slipped it over her dress. "My trunk is already packed. I'm ready."
For a moment, he felt a pang of disappointment clench his chest and he wondered at the sensation. The stinging, burning ache was from the realization that he'd miss her feminine presence awakening the man inside him. Why did it seem she was eager to leave, when the masculine part of him wanted her to stay while the logical part said she had to go. Dealing with her had him all torn up inside, knowing what he should do and knowing what he wanted to do and none of it the right thing.
And Seth's mother had instilled in him that a good man was always conscientious, principled, and responsible.
Right now, he wanted to cast aside the disciplined part of him and let the viral man in him react to the soft, tempting woman in front of him. They had to go, now.
He carried her trunk out to the sleigh, the cold wind a welcome respite, and then turned to help her into the sleigh. Placing his hands around her waist, he lifted her into the vehicle, breathing in the scent of roses, causing his breath to quicken. She glanced down at him and smiled. The smile had his loins tightening. He'd miss her nearness, the smell of her filling his home and the silly grin that tugged something in his chest.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said and tucked the heavy pelt over her feet and legs. "Next stop, Uncle James’s place."
Wild Western Women Mistletoe, Montana: Sweet Western Historical Holiday Box Set Page 14
