The woman he loves. Does Luke still love me?
Chapter 7
Luke pushed his Stetson off his forehead, taking in the scene before him. He reveled in the beauty of the wide-open prairie blanketed in the first snowfall of the year.
Did Oregon smell this fresh and crisp in early winter?
Impatiently he pushed the thought aside, determined nothing would spoil the moment for him. He always looked forward to coming out to the south pasture and looking over St. John land at the first snowfall. The difference this year was that Pa wasn’t with him as he always had been for the snow ride. Luke released a heavy sigh and turned Rusty back toward the house.
Three weeks had passed since Pa’s operation. Two days after the surgery, his temperature returned to normal and he regained consciousness. His stump showed no signs of infection, and Sam was growing optimistic about his chances of recovery.
Sam said they could eventually order an artificial leg, and Pa should be able to lead a fairly normal life. Until then, the most important thing was that he gain strength. For now, even the briefest excursions from bed exhausted him.
Pa never complained…had even made a joke about having a funeral for the missing leg. But Luke knew the weakness had to be difficult for him.
Despite the tragedy of Pa’s getting his leg amputated, Thanksgiving had held special meaning for the entire St. John family this year. “Thank You, Lord” seemed to be more heartfelt than ever before.
As Luke approached the ranch, he noticed a commotion and nudged Rusty to a trot. Disheveled and unshaven, Anthony sat in his wagon seat, his face drained of color.
“What’s wrong?” Luke asked.
“Tarah’s time has come. I brought the kids over for Emily to keep an eye on, and your ma is coming with me to the house.”
“Sam know?”
“He knows, but as usual, Tarah refuses to allow him to deliver the baby. He’s there just in case there’s trouble, but she wants Granny and your ma. I’m headed over to Laney’s next to get Granny.”
“Want me to ride ahead and let her know you’re coming?”
“Would you? That’ll save us some time.”
Luke grinned as he rode off toward Laney’s soddy. After a man had been with his wife through the births of three children, number four should be a matter of course. But Anthony fell apart with each birth.
As Rusty made steady progress in the newly fallen snow, Luke allowed his mind to wander toward the future day when he would have his own children. He continued to daydream until Laney’s soddy came into view, then he rode with purpose.
Recognizing Luke’s horse through the window, Laney inwardly groaned. What was he doing here at this time of day? And why did Granny have to choose now to fix the hem on little Sarah Jean Taylor’s dress? It was humiliating enough for Laney that a ten-year-old’s dress fit her, but Luke would tease her unmercifully.
“Hold still,” Granny scolded. “How will I ever get this hem straight with your fidgeting?”
“Sorry, Granny. Luke’s here.”
“Well, whatever he wants will just have to wait until I finish pinning this hem.”
As if on cue, Luke tapped on the door.
“Come in, Luke,” Granny called.
The door swung open. His gaze swept her, his eyes growing wide in surprise. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. Heat burned Laney’s cheeks. She knew what a spectacle she made, and she knew he was fighting to keep from laughing out loud at the sight of her.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Granny.”
“You should be. It’s not as if we aren’t working our fingers to the bone to get these gowns to Mr. Tucker. There’s no time for constant interruptions.”
“I know, Granny. And again, I’m sorry, but Anthony’s on his way over with Ma. Tarah’s time has come, and you know she won’t have the baby without you.”
“Now why didn’t you say so? Help me up from here.”
Luke strode across the room and took Granny’s arm as she struggled to her feet. “The hem is pinned, Laney. You can sew it and deliver the dress to Tucker by tomorrow with the rest of the gowns, right? Mrs. Taylor has been hounding the poor man for a week about this dress.”
Laney snorted and hopped off the chair. “Yes, we don’t want Mrs. Taylor to pop her corset strings, worrying about her little girl’s dress being ready in time for the Christmas dance.”
“Don’t be impertinent. I know you never liked the woman, but she’s still your elder. And you shouldn’t be discussing ladies’ undergarments in front of Luke.”
Amusement tipped the corners of Luke’s lips. “I think you should make yourself a dress just like that one, Laney. It’s nice to see you in girl clothes for a change—even little girl clothes.”
The ruffly dress only reached Laney’s midcalf. She straightened her shoulders, pretending she didn’t care what he thought. “You know Sarah Jean is big for her age. Can I help it if she’s as tall as I am?”
“No need to get riled. I think you look very sweet,” he baited.
“Luke…,” Laney warned. “Will you get out of here so I can take off this ridiculous getup?”
“Too late.” Luke chuckled and opened the door.
Laney heard the wagon rattle to a halt just as Luke spoke. She groaned aloud. Must everyone in the family see her dressed like a little girl?
Luckily Granny had a bundle ready and quickly headed toward the door. “Now don’t you work yourself to death while I’m gone, you hear? I’ll be staying with Tarah for a few days to help out.”
Laney kissed the leathery cheek. “Don’t worry, Granny. I’ll be fine. Give Tarah my love, and tell her as soon as she’s up to it, I’ll be over to see her and the baby.”
After the wagon rolled away, Laney braced herself for more teasing. Instead, Luke turned to her. “I’ll go outside while you change, but I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes before you get back to work.”
“Sure.” Laney’s stomach jumped at the seriousness of his tone. When the door was safely closed behind Luke, she hurriedly removed the dress and laid it across the table to be sewn. Then she slipped on her shirt and jeans and pulled on her boots. She only prayed Papa Dell hadn’t taken a turn for the worse.
“Come on in, Luke,” she called. “I’m decent.”
He came back in and smiled, his gaze sweeping her. “Now that’s my Laney.”
Her stomach hopped at his tone. Was she his Laney?
“What did you want to tell me?”
Luke hesitated. “I don’t know how you feel about this,” he began, his voice shaky, words stilted.
“About what?”
“Well, just hang on. I’m trying to tell you.”
Laney’s defenses rose at his impatient tone. “Sor–ry! I don’t got all day to wait on you, Luke St. John. You know I have a pile of work to do since Granny’s going to be at Tarah’s.”
Slapping his Stetson against his thigh, Luke let out a growl. “Just forget it, Laney. I declare, a fella can’t even propose to you without a big argument!”
He stomped off and mounted Rusty. He galloped away, leaving Laney to stare after him.
Propose? Excitement wiggled around in her stomach. If Luke was ready to propose again, he must have made the decision to stay and run the ranch for Papa Dell. She inwardly berated herself. If she didn’t stop running him off, he might never marry her!
She tried to get back to work, but she couldn’t help casting frequent glances toward the window, hoping Luke would come back. If he did, she would greet him at the door with a smile and be ready to throw herself into his arms if he decided to ask her to marry him again. She waited the rest of the morning, but hope gave way to despair when lunchtime arrived and he still hadn’t returned.
After shrugging into her sheepskin coat, Laney grabbed the water pail and made the short walk to the creek. She planned to dig a well come spring, but for now, the daily trip wasn’t too awfully bad. It gave her a good excuse to e
scape the confines of the soddy and stretch her legs for a few minutes.
She squatted down beside the creek where the clear water rippled over a bed of rocks. Suddenly an eerie feeling slithered over her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Laney hurriedly finished filling her pail and rose. Why hadn’t she thought to buckle on her Colt? That would have made her feel a sight more comfortable right now.
Casting a wary glance over her shoulder, Laney picked up her pace, sloshing water from the pail. “Luke? Is that you? You’re not scaring me, so you might as well show your face.”
A twig snapped behind her, and Laney grinned and swung around. Expecting to startle Luke and get the upper hand, she stopped short and gasped as she came face-to-face with a tall man dressed in black. His brilliant blue eyes swept over her, and a smirk tipped the corners of sensual lips.
She willed her hands to stop trembling and made a mental note to get herself a big dog. “Who are you?” she demanded, her heart pounding like Indian drums during a rain dance. “And what are you doing on my land?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Your land? Since when do they hand out property to children?”
Laney sneered. “I’m no child, mister. I’m a grown woman, and I own this patch of land your no-good carcass is standing on.”
A slow smile slid across his face. “A woman, eh? Well, in that case…” He reached for her. Laney recoiled and drew back her arm, ready to strike if he dared to lay a hand on her.
“That’s enough, Matt. No one said you could manhandle my daughter. Look at her. She ain’t worth the bother, nohow.”
Laney froze, fear causing the bile to rise in her throat. She’d know that voice anywhere. Slowly she turned. “Pa,” she whispered. The sight of him shocked her. This man was a mere shadow of the pa she remembered.
“That’s right. It’s me. Looks like you done real good fer yerself, girlie.”
“Wh–what do you want? You know there’s a wanted poster up at Tucker’s with your face plastered on it?”
“Then it’s lucky fer me an’ Matt here that I got me a girl with her own place.”
Laney gave him a short laugh. “You don’t think you’re staying with me?”
His face darkened. “You ain’t changed a bit. Still as mouthy as ever.” He brought his hand hard across her cheek. The ground came up to meet her, and she sprawled in the snow, tasting blood. He stood over her, intimidating even with sunken cheeks and bony arms.
She swiped at her mouth with the backs of her fingers and glared up at her pa. Her lips curled into a sneer. “You haven’t changed either. Still enjoy bullying anyone smaller than you.”
He moved closer, but Matt stepped between them. “Leave the girl alone. How’s she going to go into town for supplies if she’s all bruised up?”
Matt reached down. Ignoring his outstretched hand, Laney hopped to her feet. “What makes you think I won’t go straight to the sheriff if you let me go into town?”
“I’ll show you,” Pa said, a coarse grin twisting his thin lips. He turned toward a nearby tree. “Get out here.”
Laney watched in bewildered silence as a young girl of no more than five or six years stepped slowly into view. Even with her hair matted and her face covered in dirt, Laney could see the unmistakable resemblance to her own hair and features. This child was family.
Laney glowered at her pa. “Don’t tell me you found another woman dumb enough to marry you.”
Matt chuckled.
Her pa’s eyes glittered dangerously. “I didn’t marry her. But that didn’t stop her from getting in a fix with this one.” He jerked his thumb toward the little girl.
Laney ignored his crude comment and focused on the child. She smiled, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that now she had a little sister to look out for. Wait till Ben found out about this! For the first time, Laney was glad her brother had gone east to seminary. At least he would escape Pa’s meanness this time around. “What’s your name, honey?” she asked.
The little girl ducked her head.
Pa nudged her forward. “Yer big sister’s talkin’ to you, girl.”
“Leave her be, Pa. She’s just a little girl—not that showing kindness to children was ever your strong suit.”
The little girl glanced shyly at Laney. Laney smiled at her and winked. Beautiful blue eyes grew wide, and she smiled back, revealing a missing front tooth.
“What’s your name?” Laney asked again.
“Jane,” she said in a barely audible voice.
“The perfect name for a sister.”
Jane’s face lit up. Laney could well imagine how she felt. She knew from experience that one kind word from a stranger could make all the difference in a lonely child’s life. Stepping toward her sister, Laney reached for her hand. “Are you hungry?”
Jane nodded.
“Well, let’s go find you something to eat.”
The little girl slipped a dirty hand inside Laney’s, then to Laney’s surprise, she turned and reached for Pa. He cleared his throat. “I’m coming.”
Laney ignored the two men, though she knew they were following. Her mind raced. What was she going to do? Her Colt was hanging on a hook just inside the door. What if she could get inside first and grab it before Pa and his thug friend could stop her? She picked up her pace a bit, pulling Jane along with her. When she reached the soddy, she quickly pushed open the door. She stopped short and gasped. A man sat at her table, a cigar between his teeth.
Her gaze flew to the peg where the gun belt usually hung.
“Looking for this?” The man at the table held her Colt in his palm.
Laney shuddered in anger. Her pa was a good-for-nothing varmint to bring these rascals to her house.
She heard a chuckle next to her ear and spun around, once again coming face-to-face with Matt. Laney shuddered at the clear message written in his dark eyes. She couldn’t escape, so she might as well forget the idea. But he didn’t know Laney Jenkins. She’d get out of this mess one way or another. They’d be sorry they ever tangled with her in the first place!
Chapter 8
He’s another good-looking baby, Tarah,” Luke fibbed. Just a little fib—no use hurting his sister’s feelings, even if the wrinkly, squalling infant was slobbering all over the front of his shirt.
Tarah took the baby and cuddled him close, instantly halting Johnny’s wails. A laugh erupted from the four-time mother. “Don’t worry, Uncle Luke. He’ll get better looking every day.” She kissed the top of her baby’s head and lowered herself into a rocking chair next to the cozy fireplace.
Luke averted his gaze while his sister prepared to nurse Johnny. When she was settled and covered with a shawl, she said, “Your first few days on this earth, I was so embarrassed, I begged Ma and Pa not to take you anywhere.”
Luke sent her a sheepish grin. “I couldn’t fool you, eh?”
“Don’t worry about it. I think he’s just beautiful. So how are things at the ranch?”
“Running smoothly.”
“And Pa? How is he?”
“Stronger every day. Still a long ways from running a ranch though.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. I know it doesn’t seem fair that you have to put your plans on hold.”
A shrug lifted his shoulders. “You know, at first I was bitter about it. But after a good tongue lashing from someone near and dear to us both, I saw that I was just being selfish.”
Tarah laughed. “Our Laney has a way of getting straight to the heart of the matter, doesn’t she?”
He grinned. “I guess so.”
“Speaking of Laney, I thought she’d have come to see Johnny by now.”
“She hasn’t been by?”
Tarah shook her head. “I suppose she’s extra busy since Granny’s staying with me, but I thought she’d have taken a few minutes to come meet the baby. You know how she loves to cuddle newborns.”
Laney’s adoration of infants was legendary in the family. Anthony good-naturedly said it was like t
rying to wrestle a piece of meat away from a grizzly to get to hold his own children when they were babies.
“Doesn’t sound like Laney, does it?”
“Has anyone checked on her in the last few days?”
Luke shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I don’t guess so.”
“She’s probably working herself to death, with no one to make sure she’s eating and sleeping properly. Could you run by there after you get Ma’s supplies from Tucker’s?” She stopped short and stared at him. A frown furrowed her brow. “What?”
“What, what?”
“You’re staring at your boots. What’s wrong?”
“Laney and I got into it last time I saw her. I doubt she’d want to see me.”
Shaking her head, Tarah huffed. “Honestly. You two beat all I ever saw and then some. You’re either kissing or arguing.”
“Who’s kissing?” Little D entered the room, trailing mud. “Uncle Luke and Laney? Yuck. Not again.”
“Little D! Look at the floor. Granny just scrubbed it yesterday. She’ll tan your hide for this.” Tarah gave him a stern look. “Take off those boots, and go get a bucket of water. You can just clean it up before she sees it.”
Little D looked scandalized. “You want me to do women’s work?”
Luke bit back a grin and stood as Tarah’s eyes narrowed. The boy was about to get a stern lecture, and Luke didn’t want to be around to witness it.
Obviously Little D caught the look, too, for he scooted off to fetch the water.
Tarah’s glance swept upward until her gaze caught Luke’s. “Will you go by Laney’s? She’s probably forgotten all about your argument. Besides, I’m a little worried about her.”
Luke grabbed his hat from the table and headed for the door. “All right. I’ll swing by there after I pick up Ma’s supplies from Tucker’s.”
A relieved smile crossed Tarah’s lips. “Thank you.”
Luke bid her good day and stepped outside. The sun, beating brilliantly against the snow, nearly blinded him, and he squinted against the brightness. He climbed into the wagon and made his way to Tucker’s.
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