Courting Kate

by Rich, Mary Lou

  He’d made a pot of coffee that, when it was done, tasted like dishwater mixed with barnyard mud. Grimacing, he dumped the pot. He didn’t know why Matt’s coffee always tasted better.

  He yawned. Another hour’s sleep wouldn’t have hurt any, either. He shot a glance toward Kate.

  Color bloomed in her cheeks; her eyes danced with laughter. The lack of sleep didn’t seem to bother her. She looked fresh as a spring flower.

  He felt and probably looked like something the dog had found under the porch, which didn’t help his disposition. He rubbed his unshaven cheek. He’d been shaving since he was fourteen. In two days he could grow a beard.

  Matt was the only one of the boys who had to shave, and even then he could skip a week and nobody would ever notice.

  No time for it now. He looked out the window and saw that the sky was once again intent on burying them in a blanket of snow. If he didn’t get a move on, his mules would end up being cougar bait or so lost he’d never find them. “I’ve got to go find the mules,” he said.

  Nobody noticed.

  Tanner put on his hat and coat and went out the door.

  Fluffy sat, tail wagging, on the porch.

  “Are you being ignored, too?”

  The ungainly hound leaped up and licked Tanner’s face, an act that both surprised and pleased him.

  “Guess we’d better stick together.” He bent and gave the dog’s shaggy head a pat. “Hey, old son, how are you at finding mules?”

  The dog let out a happy bark and trotted toward the woods.

  * * *

  Although Tanner knew he probably would have found the mules eventually, even though they were well hidden in a rocky draw, he had to give credit for locating them so soon to the dog, who not only discovered them but herded the temperamental critters back to the ranch.

  It was shortly after noon when Tanner had the corral fence repaired and headed for the house for a bite to eat. Fluffy trotted alongside him. Although they had disliked each other at first sight, Tanner thought he and the dog had become pretty good friends, if one could say that of an animal.

  At least the dog seemed to respect him, which was more than he could say of his brothers.

  “Guess we’d better wipe our feet, or Matt will have us scrubbing the floors.”

  The dog looked at him and bared his teeth.

  “My sentiments exactly.” Tanner picked up an old sack and called the dog to him, then he brushed the snow from Fluffy’s feet and fur.

  When they entered the house, the dog trotted off to join John and Luke, who were playing checkers in front of the fireplace.

  Tanner headed for the kitchen to see if Matt had made more coffee. When he reached the door he stopped dead in his tracks. “Get your hands off her!”

  Matt, who had his arms wrapped around Kate, looked at him in amazement.

  She looked at him like he’d lost his mind.

  Mark glanced at the pair of them, then at Tanner. He began to laugh.

  “Tanner, what is the matter with you?” Matt asked, but he kept his arms right where they were—around Kate.

  “What do you think is the matter with me? I’ve been out working in the cold all morning, then I come in and find you hugging Kate.”

  “Hugging Kate?” Mark doubled over with merriment and ran out of the room. “Hey, Luke. You’ve got to hear this.”

  Matt and Kate stared at each other, then she shook her head. “The cold must have addled his brains. Now where were we?”

  “Take your hands off her. I’m not kidding,” Tanner said, his tone deadly.

  Matt removed his flour-covered arms from around Kate and dropped them to his sides. “She’s right, you are addled.”

  “Tanner, stop it this instant,” Kate ordered. “Matt was showing me how to improve my pie dough. I’ve had a problem with it being tough. He was showing me the right way to roll it out.” Her violet eyes flashing, she raised a flour-covered finger and pointed to the door. “Now, if you would leave us be, we can get on with the lesson.”

  “Lesson? You weren’t hugging her?”

  “When you’re hugging somebody, do you do it covered with flour?” she asked. “Really, Tanner.”

  Tanner looked at the flour-covered table, and the flour-covered Kate, and the half-rolled-out pie dough—and felt like a fool. “Well, if that was what you were doing, get on with it. I only came in for a cup of coffee anyhow.”

  “It’s on the stove,” Matt said coolly.

  Tanner filled a mug with the potent brew, then left the room. He considered going to the living room until he figured out he was the subject of all the laughter. Having no place else to go, he put on his coat again and went to the barn.

  He stayed there until Luke called him to supper. Still feeling a bit embarrassed, he took his place at the table and led the family in the blessing. He was relieved when no one poked fun at him for his earlier behavior.

  The meal—venison steak, gravy, potatoes, dried green beans and fluffy biscuits—was done to perfection. He knew that for Kate, Matt had taken special pains with the preparation. For dessert they had pie, dried apple—or, in his case, humble. It, too, was out of the ordinary.

  After eating his fill he decided Matt could give Kate all the cooking lessons he liked. He just wished his brother didn’t have to get so cozy to do it.

  John cleared the table while Mark and Luke started the dishes. Matt escorted Kate into the front room.

  “Why don’t you play something for us, Tanner?” Matt got the old fiddle down from the wall.

  “All right, what would you like to hear?”

  “Something we can dance to, right, Kate?”

  “Sounds good to me,” she answered, getting to her feet.

  It didn’t sound good to Tanner. “How about an Irish jig?” “I was hoping for a waltz,” Matt said.

  I’ll bet you were. It seemed to him like Matt was looking for another excuse to get his arms around Kate. Well, he wasn’t about to give him the chance. He brought the fiddle to his chin and swung into a lively tune that had his fingers dancing over the strings.

  Matt and Kate whirled around the room, his fair blond looks a perfect foil for her dusky beauty. The other boys joined the fun, each taking turns with Kate. With their youthful exuberance, the jig turned into a wild gallop that made Tanner glance at the rafters, wondering if they could stand up under such a din.

  Barking, Fluffy raced around the room, anxious to join in the fun.

  Finally when his fingers couldn’t keep up the effort, Tanner reluctantly put his bow aside.

  Kate’s hair hung free to her waist, a riot of silky black curls. Her violet eyes sparkled, and her cheeks were pink with exertion. Her dishevelment gave her a wild, exotic look that heated his blood. He could almost imagine her dancing around a gypsy campfire.

  The boys, gasping for breath, had collapsed in front of the fire. Tanner hoped that they would be so exhausted they would go to bed early. But Kate was the first one to bid them good night.

  Disappointed, he watched her walk toward the bedroom. He’d hoped they might have some time alone, but with the boys around.... He shook his head.

  John, rubbing his eyes, went next. The older boys, finding Tanner’s company sadly lacking, followed close behind.

  Tanner waited until the house grew quiet, until he was certain his brothers would be asleep, then he tiptoed down the hall and opened the bedroom door.

  Kate lay sleeping, her palm tucked under her cheek, her long hair spilling over the pillow. She looked small, almost lost in the big bed.

  Wonder if she’d mind some company? He’d taken only one step when, beside her, Fluffy raised his head.

  “Good boy.” He inched closer.

  The dog let out a low growl.

  “All right, don’t get your fur in an uproar,” he whispered. Apparently their new friendship didn’t matter. The dog was Kate’s guardian, and he wasn’t about to let Tanner anywhere near. His show of teeth stated that in no uncerta
in terms.

  Not anxious to have the whole household find him sneaking into Kate’s room, he retreated and shut the door.

  * * *

  “Did you hear that?” Mark whispered.

  “I heard him,” Matt said. “For a minute I thought one of us was going to have to go out and see what he was up to.”

  “He sure wouldn’t like that,” Luke said.

  “We could pretend to get a drink of water or something,” Mark suggested.

  “There’s a limit as to how much water we can drink. He’d catch on after a while,” Luke declared.

  “He’s jealous. I thought he was going to punch me today,” Matt said.

  “And he’s sneaky.”

  “He wants to pick the peaches, but he isn’t ready to deal with the pits,” Mark said.

  “Peaches? Pits? What’s that got to do with anything?” Luke asked, scratching his head.

  “Tanner wants to bed Kate, but he’s not willing to marry her,” Matt explained.

  “That ain’t right,” Luke muttered.

  “Dang right it’s not, and we’re not going to let it happen.”

  “How are we going to stop it?”

  They huddled together, talking softly, making one plan only to discard it in favor of another. Finally, unable to stay awake any longer, Mark and Luke went back to their own room.

  Why couldn’t I be older? Matt thought. He’d give anything just to be able to hold her hand. He’d be willing to die for a kiss. She considered him—all of them, except Tanner—younger brothers. But Matt didn’t feel brotherly. He had hugged her; ‘course she didn’t know what he was doing. He’d hug her again if he got the chance.

  But Tanner wanted more than a hug—that much was obvious to anyone who knew the ways of men and women. Tanner wanted— Picturing what Tanner wanted, Matt shoved a fist into his pillow, wishing it was his older brother’s face. His own blood pulsing with the need to protect her, Matt stared at the ceiling.

  * * *

  After the whisper of voices grew silent, soft footsteps retreated down the hall. Apparently the Blaines were a restless bunch. First Tanner coming into her room, then the boys plotting across the hall.

  Did one have anything to do with the other? Kate wondered. She’d pretended sleep when Tanner had entered her room, even though it was hard to keep her eyes closed with him standing there looking at her. She would have sworn he must have heard her heart beating, it roared like a raging river in her ears.

  If the dog hadn’t growled, what would he have done?

  Worse yet, what would she have done? Probably something they both would have been sorry for in the morning.

  Would he have come to her bed, made love to her? And would she, could she have refused him? She didn’t know.

  She remembered the night in the buggy and what very easily could have happened. She loved him; it would be easy to surrender her virtue. It would also be the worst possible thing she could do.

  He wanted her, he’d made that clear, and while she thought he was fond of her, she knew he didn’t love her. And he certainly didn’t want to marry her, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so intent on finding her a husband.

  She’d never been in love before, but other people had told her it was the most marvelous thing that could happen between two people. Somehow she doubted she would ever reach that state of euphoria. For as she lay in the dark, alone in the big bed, her love for Tanner Blaine was the most painful thing she had ever experienced.

  Chapter 13

  “Wake up, Tanner. We need to talk.”

  His feet hanging over the arm of the horsehair couch, Tanner groaned and opened his eyes.

  Matt, Mark and Luke stared down at him.

  He glanced toward the living room window. “It’s the middle of the night. Can’t whatever it is wait until morning?”

  “It is morning,” Matt said firmly. “And it can’t wait.”

  Tanner sighed, then pushed himself upright and put his feet on the floor.

  Mark tossed a log on the fire and sent a haze of sparks into the room. He glared at Tanner, his eyes accusing. “We heard you last night. We know what you were up to, and we aren’t going to stand for it.”

  Tanner looked from one to another of his brothers. Each of them appeared mad enough to punch him. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he lied.

  “You went into Kate’s room. We heard you,” Matt declared, daring him to deny it.

  “So?”

  “Don’t do it again,” Mark warned.

  “Yeah. We’ll be watchin’,” Luke finished.

  With that, the three of them marched back to bed.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Sneaky little... They won’t stand for it? Who do they think they are?” He lay back down and pulled the covers back up over his shoulders, but guilt wouldn’t allow him to sleep.

  It wasn’t as though he intended to force her or anything. He didn’t plan to do anything she wasn’t willing to do—regardless of what his brothers thought.

  It isn’t right, his conscience argued.

  A woman needed a little loving, he argued. He’d be gentle. He’d never had any complaints so far. Some women had enjoyed it so much they begged for more.

  Kate isn’t like them. She’s gentle bred. A lady. She’d be ruined.

  Ruined? Not in his estimation. A man appreciated a woman with a little experience. Besides, how did he know she’d never made love to a man? She was past the age when most women were married. She might have already been around the barn a time or two and didn’t want to admit it.

  Daisy, over at the Golden Spike saloon, had entertained half the men in Jacksonville at one time or another, yet to hear her tell it, she was pure as the driven snow. She’d gotten married, and her husband hadn’t complained none. He’d said she taught him things he’d never dreamed of.

  He tugged the blanket up again, uncovering his feet. The covers were too short. He couldn’t keep one end of his body warm without freezing the other.

  He drew up his knees and closed his eyes. Wasn’t any sense worrying about something that probably would never happen. With that dog of hers and his brothers watching every move he made, he’d be lucky to get in as much as a “howdy do” before spring.

  * * *

  After cutting enough wood to replace what they’d used up in the storm, Tanner wiped his feet and went into the house.

  He’d left Mark chopping ice out of the water troughs. Luke was shoveling a trail to the privy. Now if he could just get Matt and John out of the way.

  He hung up his coat and gloves and had started toward the living room to warm himself, when a hammering sound drew his attention. He followed the noise and found Matt kneeling by Kate’s bedroom door.

  Kate stood beside him, watching.

  “There. All done.” Matt got to his feet.

  “Something wrong with the door?” Tanner asked.

  “Not now. I just put a lock on it.” Matt glanced at Kate. “Anytime you feel like a little privacy, you just slide this bolt. That way nobody can bother you.” He gave Tanner a pointed look.

  “Isn’t he thoughtful?” Kate said, giving Matt a smile.

  “Real thoughtful,” Tanner agreed. “Matt, I’ll have to see what I can do for you sometime.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Tanner. I’m glad to help out.”

  “Speaking of “out.” I want you to clean out those stalls today. And then you can curry the mules.”

  “Can’t do it today, Tanner. I promised to show Kate how to make bread.”

  “I’m really looking forward to it,” she said brightly.

  “Well... I wouldn’t want to disappoint a lady. Matt, the barn will still be there—waiting for you—tomorrow.”

  Matt’s face fell.

  “Since you’re set on giving cooking lessons, maybe I’ll watch. Refresh my memory,” he said smoothly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve made a loaf of bread.”

  “Can you make bread, too?” Kate asked
.

  “Sure can,” he said, sliding an arm around her waist. “Why, darlin’, you’d be surprised at how many things I’m good at.”

  “We need to get started on that bread, Kate,” Matt said, shooting him a look that would have driven nails.

  “Tanner?”

  “I’ll be along in a minute, honey. I just want to inspect Matt’s work. Wouldn’t want you getting locked in so tight you couldn’t get out, would we?”

  After Matt took Kate off to the kitchen, Tanner inspected the lock. In truth, Matt had done a fine job. Neat, darn near perfect. The bolt slid easily. Not a chance it would jam. It was also stout enough to keep out a bull. Thinking of last night, he sighed. Well, he could scratch that possibility. But Matt wasn’t the only one who could play the game. A determined glint in his eye, he headed for the kitchen.

  Matt stood, arms around Kate, punching at a mound of dough. “We can pretend it’s Tanner,” he said, pummeling it with his fist.

  Kate blinked when a puff of flour hit her in the face.

  “I think it’s safer over here. Besides, you can see better,” Tanner said, freeing her from Matt’s embrace.

  “Yeah, but she won’t learn how to do it.”

  “Sure she will. We’ll use that bunch,” he pointed to another mound of dough that hadn’t been punched up yet. “Kate and I will do ours. You can show us how.”

  Matt scowled but remained silent.

  “First,” said Tanner, turning her to face him, “we’ll get that flour out of your eyes.” He took his handkerchief and wiped her eyes, then with his fingertip brushed a smudge from her nose. “Now, then.” He sprinkled a handful of flour on the table, then placed the dough in the middle of it. “Let’s see.” He placed Kate in front of him and put his arms around her. “I think that’s the way you were doing it, isn’t it, Matt?”

  “Since you know so much about it, from now on I’ll leave the bread making to you.” Matt wiped his hands and strode out of the room.

  “Think I might enjoy bread making,” Tanner murmured into Kate’s ear. He took hold of her hands and pushed them in and out of the soft dough. “How about you, darlin’?”