“He stopped by a couple days ago. I asked him to go with me when I called on the widow Johnson this afternoon. I took her some chicken stew and peach cobbler for her supper tonight, and he stayed at her place to do a few chores. But he should be back soon. He knew you’d be coming home any day.”
“Good. I need to talk to him.”
Hannah glanced at the buckboard, which the quilts still lined and the canvas tarp still shaded. “What’s that? And where’s your horse?”
“Caballo is in the barn. And that? Well, I suppose you could say that I brought you a surprise.”
“Not another wolf puppy, I hope.” She shook her gray head, chuckling.
“I think you’ll like this one a lot better.” He continued to talk to her, but he lowered his voice to the point it was impossible to hear from where Katie and Sarah Jane sat.
Hannah nodded, then spoke, too, her voice also a whisper.
When Tom pointed toward the porch, Katie got to her feet. While she was no longer concerned about meeting the woman she’d once thought Tom might be courting, she still wondered what kind of reception she would receive.
However, if Hannah held any ill feelings about Tom bringing three houseguests, she masked them with a warm smile on a rosy face.
Katie turned to the rocker, where Sarah Jane watched the homecoming. “Come on, honey. Tom has someone he wants us to meet.”
The child’s big blue eyes implored Katie to participate in the introductions without her.
“You can play on the rocker later.” Katie held out a hand. “I promise.”
Sarah Jane sighed, then stopped the swaying motion with little moccasin-clad feet and reached her small hand into Katie’s.
As they approached Hannah and Tom, the big dog studied them intently. Too intently, Katie realized. She paused in midstep, determined to avoid a quick movement that might provoke the creature to pounce upon them with teeth bared. Katie waited, ready to jump in front of Sarah Jane as a shield, if need be.
“He won’t hurt you.” Tom stooped to one knee and held out his hand to Sarah Jane. “Come here, sweetheart. I have a friend I want you to meet.”
The child made her way to the man and dog, apparently not the least bit apprehensive.
“Sarah Jane, this is Lobo. He’s part wolf, but don’t let that scare you. I’ve had him since he was a puppy, and he’s both loving and loyal.” Tom placed a hand upon the animal’s head. “Lobo, this is my friend. And now she’s your friend, too.”
The child warmed to the dog immediately. Judging by the way Hannah smiled warmly as she watched the little girl and the wolf-dog, Katie seemed to be the only one with any apprehension whatsoever.
“Sarah Jane,” Tom said, “I also want to introduce you to a very special lady. Her name is Hannah McCain, and she used to be a schoolteacher.”
Hannah McCain?
Was she his grandmother—or perhaps an aunt?
With a rather large nose, a wide mouth and a gap-toothed smile, Hannah wasn’t much for looks. In fact, Katie doubted she’d been any more attractive in her youth, but her obvious pleasure at greeting Sarah Jane softened the harsh wrinkles etched on her face.
Hannah slowly lowered herself to her knees, grimacing as she went down, but she seemed to shake off any discomfort as she cupped Sarah Jane’s face and smiled. “I have a cookie tin that never goes empty. And if you like storybooks, I have a shelf full of them. Reading is one of my favorite things to do.”
Tom chuckled. “But watch out for the pianoforte in the parlor. Hannah thinks every child should learn to play as well as she does.”
Books and a musical instrument? Hannah was certainly educated. But if Tom was calling her by her first name, then she wasn’t his mother. Of course, there didn’t appear to be a family resemblance, either.
Curiosity flared, and Katie was determined to learn more about Hannah McCain and how she and Tom had become so close.
The wolf-dog gave Sarah Jane’s face a lick, which triggered one of the smiles Katie had been longing to see.
“Hannah,” Tom said, “forgive me for skipping formalities, but now that Sarah Jane is at ease, I’d like to introduce you to Katie O’Malley.”
The older woman returned to her feet and waddled to Katie, her pudgy hand outstretched. “How do you do, dear? It’s nice to meet you.”
Katie accepted the greeting. “I’m fine, thank you. Tom assured me that you wouldn’t mind having us stay with you.”
“I’m delighted to have you.” Hannah turned to Tom. “Son, will you please put some water on to heat? These young ladies are going to need a bath. In the meantime, I’ll get supper underway.”
“I hate to be a bother,” Katie said.
“It’s no bother at all. Any friend of Tom’s is a friend of mine.”
Tom had said as much, but Katie suspected the kindly woman would have taken in anyone who’d needed a warm meal and a soft bed.
“We won’t be staying with you very long,” Katie told her. “Erin and I have plans to take Sarah Jane to Wyoming.”
Tom’s smile waned, and his expression grew stern. “I thought we had that settled.”
“We did get that settled. You’re going to Stillwater to check on a few details, and my plan to leave for Wyoming merely has been delayed until you get back.”
Tom shot her a glance that suggested their truce might be short-lived, then he clucked his tongue and returned to the buckboard.
* * *
While the women went into the house, Tom unhitched the team and led them to the corral, where he could brush them down and give them some grain and water.
All the while, he grumbled under his breath. He’d lowered his guard when it came to dealing with Katie O’Malley, and now that they’d reached Hannah’s house, she was back in rare form.
Where was Trapper when he needed another man to even things out?
He’d no more than wondered that question when Lobo’s ears perked up and he barked.
A moment later, Tom heard it, too—the sound of a horse riding onto the property. As Lobo made a dash toward the road, Tom placed his right hand over the gun that rested in his holster.
He hadn’t thought they’d been followed, but he couldn’t be sure. A sense of uneasiness had dogged him from Pleasant Valley, and he hadn’t been able to shake it.
Still, he was glad to spot Trapper riding up on his Appaloosa. He released the team of horses into the corral, then met his old friend in the yard.
As Trapper dismounted, he surveyed the buckboard and scrunched his face. “What’s that contraption?”
Tom told him about the assault and why he’d brought Erin and Sarah Jane to Hannah.
Trapper, who’d gotten a shave and a haircut after his return from Pleasant Valley, lifted his hat and mopped his brow. “Something just don’t seem right.”
“That’s the conclusion I came to back in Pleasant Valley. We trailed Caroline from Casa de Los Angelitos in Mexico. And each time she’d settle down in a town and find a respectable job, she’d pack up and move a year or so later. But they stayed in Taylorsville nearly two years. So why didn’t Erin stay put after Caroline died? Why would she take Sarah Jane to live at the Gardener’s House? It doesn’t make sense.”
“You still think they was runnin’ from someone or something?” Trapper asked.
“What else could it be? And you know how I felt about Caroline taking that tumble down the stairs.”
“You had trouble believing it was an accident.”
“The sheriff in Taylorsville hadn’t found it suspicious, but something just didn’t feel right about it to me.”
“What did Erin have to say about that night?” Trapper asked.
“I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask her before the attack. And those blows to her head really rattled her brains. Even if she wasn’t so medicated and drowsy,
her throat is so bruised that she doesn’t have much of a voice now anyway. The doctor suggested we wait about a week for her brain and her throat to heal before we question her about anything.”
“Maybe she’ll tell you more then.”
Maybe so, but Tom didn’t have time to wait. He glanced down at his boots, then back at his friend, taking in the clean clothes, the haircut, the shave. “Well, now. Don’t you look nice.”
Trapper shrugged. “Did it for Hannah. Maybe one of these days she’ll agree to marry me. Then, whenever I’m passing through, I won’t have to sleep in the barn.”
Tom smiled. “Maybe she will if you ever get up the nerve to ask her.”
The two were an odd match—the grizzled old trapper and the proper lady. But they were good friends who looked out for each other. Who knew what the future might bring?
“You going back to Stillwater?” Trapper asked.
“I’m leaving in the morning. I can’t take Caroline back to the Lazy G now, but I can take word of her and the life she’d been living.”
“You figure on takin’ the little girl with you when you go?” Trapper asked.
“No, not until I’m sure of the welcome she’ll receive.”
“Good idea. I’ll bet Hannah’s thrilled to have another kid in the house. She loved being able to mother you. I’ll bet she’ll do the same thing with that little girl.”
There was no doubt about that, assuming Katie O’Malley would let her.
Tom figured he might as well tell Trapper now, since he was going to find out soon enough. “By the way, Erin and Sarah Jane aren’t the only women I brought home.”
Trapper arched a woolly brow. “Who else came with you?”
“An outspoken ex-schoolmarm who’ll likely be the death of me before this is all said and done.”
“How’d that happen?”
“Don’t ask.” Tom scowled. “Come on. Help me with the team. Then we need to bring in the bathtub for Hannah and heat some water.”
“I’ll help you, but just hold on a minute. Does this ex-schoolmarm got a name?”
“Katie O’Malley. And while she may look like a lady, don’t let that fool you. She’s as stubborn as a mule. Hot tempered, too.” Tom turned and lifted his finger at Trapper. “And no matter what you do, don’t let her get it in her pretty head to try and take Sarah Jane anywhere. She’s got some fool notion that the child is hers. And like it or not, Sarah Jane belongs to Graves.”
Trapper crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one hip. “Belongs to him, huh? You make the poor kid sound like a stray pup. But don’t worry. I ain’t gonna let anyone take the little girl anywhere until you get back.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”
Trapper took a deep breath and sighed. “Kind of wish I wouldn’t have gone in search of Caroline with you in the first place. I really missed Hannah this time.”
Tom didn’t doubt it. Hannah and Trapper provided each other with something they’d each wanted but never had—respectability for Trapper and a little romance for Hannah.
For years, Hannah had dreamed of being a wife and mother, but men hadn’t found her the least bit attractive.
“Hannah might not be the prettiest woman in the world,” Trapper added, “but she’s the most loving one I’ve ever met. And each time I see her, I have a growing notion to settle down once and for all. You ought to try it sometime, kid. Find yourself a woman to love.”
Tom scoffed. Yet for some reason, thoughts of feisty but pretty Katie O’Malley came to mind. When they did, he quickly brushed them aside. “I’m too much of a loner.”
“That’s what I thought before I met Hannah.”
“Yeah, well, you and I aren’t anything alike.”
Trapper uncrossed his arms and wagged a finger at him. “You could use a little of that kind of respectability yourself.”
By respectability, Trapper meant love. And they’d had this talk before, back when Tom had though Sarah Jorgenson might make a good wife. But her father hadn’t liked the idea of his fair-haired daughter being courted by a half-breed.
Tom remembered the man’s claim to have his shotgun loaded and cocked if Tom should ever come calling.
“I don’t need respectability—or matrimony,” Tom told the old man.
“Humph.” Trapper shoved his hands into his trousers’ front pockets. “So when are you headin’ out?”
“I didn’t get much sleep over the last few days, so I’m going to turn in early—sharing the loft in the barn with you, I guess. I’ll leave in the morning, but I spent nearly all my cash on supplies and a buckboard I’ll never have any more use for. So I have to stop by Izzy Ballard’s place on my way. He owes me some money, and I don’t like the idea of riding into Stillwater with an empty pocket.”
“That ain’t as bad as ridin’ into town with an empty gun.”
True, but Tom wouldn’t dwell on the danger. Instead he said, “Don’t worry about me, Trapper. I wouldn’t go to a church social unarmed.”
Chapter Five
The inside of Hannah’s house was no less inviting than the outside, especially with the scent of yeast and cinnamon filling the air.
In the parlor, a polished cherrywood bookcase holding a small library lined one wall and a stone fireplace adorned another.
Crocheted doilies that graced the backs of an overstuffed chair, a lovely brocade-upholstered settee and a colorful braided rug atop the hardwood floor added a cozy appeal, turning the little house into a home.
“I woke up this morning craving peach cobbler,” Hannah said, “so I made two of them. I took one to Mary-Ellen Johnson, a widow who’s been sickly, but there’s one for our supper tonight. I also have a chicken stew on the stove.”
“You have no idea how good that sounds,” Katie said. “Our last meal was hardtack and beef jerky.”
“Hopefully, we’ll put those last few days of traveling behind you in good speed. Tom will have the bathwater ready before you know it. And since I need to put a few extra potatoes in the soup, we’ll have time to bathe Sarah Jane before supper. Then once we’ve all eaten our fill, you can have your turn in the tub.”
A bath. Warm water, soap, lilac water...
Katie thought she might die of anticipation before her chance to bathe came.
“If you and Sarah Jane will wait a minute or two for me in the parlor,” Hannah said, “I’ll be right back.”
Katie ushered the child to the settee and did as she was asked. Minutes later, Hannah returned and took a seat in front of an ornate, hand-carved pianoforte. Soon a medley of waltzes carried Katie’s thoughts away to another time, another place.
Before long, Tom entered the room. He stood for a moment, waiting until the last song ended. Then he announced that the first bath was ready on the back porch.
Hannah graciously led Katie and a solemn Sarah Jane into the small enclosed area, where a metal tub full of water awaited.
“A warm bath will do us both good,” Katie told the child. “After you’re nice and clean, I’ll braid your hair.”
Hannah pulled a towel from a shelf. “Tom says Sarah Jane doesn’t have any clean clothes, so I’ll launder her dress tomorrow. In the meantime, I have a blouse she can wear. We can roll the sleeves and tie a satin ribbon at the waist. It won’t be as pretty as the little dress I intend to cut out and stitch for her while she’s here, but it will do for the time being.”
“That’s very kind of you.” Katie lifted the soiled cotton dress over Sarah Jane’s head and noticed a small leather bag hanging from around her neck. She lifted it. “What’s this?”
Sarah Jane’s only response was to hold the pouch close to her chest.
“You’ll have to take that off while you bathe.” Katie reached for the strap, but Sarah Jane shook her head and leaned back. Small fingers clutched the bag tightly.
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“Well, I’ll be.” Hannah clicked her tongue and smiled. “A medicine bag, just like Tom’s. He must have made it for her.”
Had he made the moccasins, too?
He must have.
“What’s a medicine bag?” Katie asked.
“A keepsake, I’d say. But powerful medicine, if you ask the Comanche, who are Tom’s people.”
There was a lot Katie didn’t know about the man, and she found herself growing more and more curious about him and how he’d come to meet Hannah.
“What’s inside the medicine bag?” she asked.
“Special things—healing plants, a magic feather, a bear claw. It’s hard to say. Tom’s had one for years. His mother made it for him. I don’t have a clue what he keeps inside. It would be disrespectful to ask or to look.”
Katie’s curiosity about the contents of what Sarah Jane kept in her bag shifted to what Tom kept in his. She hadn’t given him much thought before, other than his appearance, which she found most appealing. But she was going to make it a point to learn more about him.
As Katie helped Sarah Jane climb into the tub, the leather bag still in place, she said, “We’ll try not to get it wet, honey.”
Sarah Jane looked at the pouch. Pausing only slightly, she lifted the strap over her head and handed over the prized possession.
Katie placed it on the small table that held a cake of soap and a soft cloth for scrubbing. The little girl blessed her with a trusting grin.
“Katie,” the older woman began, “you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you like.”
“Thank you.” Katie immersed the washcloth into the warm water and reached for the soap. “I’d like to leave as soon as Tom returns.”
She just prayed he wouldn’t want to take Sarah Jane back to Stillwater with him. If he did, Katie fully intended to go, too, so she could meet these supposed relations. There was a reason her mother hadn’t been close to them. What if they weren’t good people? Or weren’t kind to Sarah Jane?
What if they didn’t want her?
Of course, if that were the case, and they were actually her relatives, perhaps they’d sign over guardianship to Katie. It would certainly make things simpler that way. She’d wait to see what Tom learned in Stillwater. And if he wanted to take Sarah Jane back, she’d insist upon going with them.
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