by Ford, Linda;
“Got beat up. I expect it had something to do with his gambling habits. His family allowed him to be buried in the family plot but didn’t attend the funeral. And then—” she shivered so hard her teeth rattled. “His uncle Gilberto came to the door demanding I turn Maxie over to him so he could be raised as a Lorenzo should be. He said my baby would get the best of care and would never know of his mother and her unsuitability.”
“Oh, Sophia. That’s so wrong. What did you do?”
“I slammed the door in his face and barred it. He banged and threatened. Then said he would be back with help. I grabbed Maxie and a few things and fled. I couldn’t go to my mother. That would be the first place they’d look. I saw a wagon train about to depart and paid one of the teamsters to let me ride in his wagon.”
“You got this far. Why didn’t you go the rest of the way with him?”
She snorted. “He learned who I was and refused to have anything more to do with me.” She turned her face up to him. “Do you believe me?”
“I do.” He knew enough about the Lorenzos to know they would stoop to such behavior. It was their rigid control that Maximillian had rebelled against.
“So you’ll help me get away?”
He considered how to answer without giving her cause to think he wouldn’t do it. “You think those recent arrivals might be sent by the Lorenzos?”
“I fear it.”
“Why don’t you let me find out before we take any action? If they aren’t a threat to you then there is no need to rush away ill prepared, with winter weather upon us.”
She straightened, allowing cold air to hit his chest. “I will never be safe from them.”
“I will take care of you.” He wanted to think it was for Maximillian’s sake and the friendship they’d enjoyed. But the truth was, Sophia and Maxie needed him, and it provided a chance to prove he could protect someone in his care. A chance to make up for how he’d been unable to do so with Edie. “I promise I will keep both you and Maxie safe.”
The flames leapt as if someone had thrown another log on the fire, and in the flare of light he was able to see her expression go from hopeful to guarded.
“That’s a mighty big promise. What happens if you fail?”
“I don’t plan to fail.”
She chuckled softly. “Not too many of us plan it. It just sneaks up and takes us by surprise.”
“Nevertheless, if you let me, I will do everything I can to keep you and Maxie safe.”
She tipped her head back. “The Lorenzos are a powerful family.”
“Only in Santa Fe.” It wasn’t totally true, but their power weakened as the distance grew. “Sophia, trust me.”
She shifted so she sat looking directly into his face.
He met her gaze steadily, letting her search deep, hoping she would see how much he wanted to help and how much it mattered to him. As he’d told her, he owed Maximillian for making him remember how much joy life had to offer. Now he wanted to do the same for Max’s widow. And ultimately, his child.
When she finally nodded and her eyes filled with resolve, he felt as if he had won a prize.
“Very well, I will trust you, Buck Williams. I hope you don’t live to regret being involved in my life.”
He smiled at the mix of relief and warning in her eyes. “I won’t regret anything.” He could not explain why he made such a broad statement nor why he meant it so thoroughly.
Little Maxie arched his back and rearranged himself.
“He needs to go to bed,” Sophia said with some reluctance, Buck thought, knowing it was likely due to the fact she didn’t want to go to the fort and perhaps encounter someone sent by the Lorenzos.
But a warm room awaited her and her son back there. He would ensure they also were safe.
“I’ll take you to the fort and escort you to your room.”
She nodded. “I would hide there if I could.”
“No need. I’ll see who the newcomers are. If they are from the Lorenzos, I will speak to them. So long as you are with me, no harm can befall you.” It was almost like the promise he’d given Edie, but she’d chosen to go her own way. Sophia was free to do what she wanted as well. “I can only promise to keep you safe if we stay together.” He knew he couldn’t follow her everywhere, nor could she accompany him at all times. “If I can’t be with you, I will make sure someone else is guarding you.” Big Frenchie was his first choice. The man was a gentle giant but no one would dare challenge him.
“Very well. Let’s do what we have to do.”
He eased from the wagon and helped her down.
They walked side by side back to the fort. As they passed through the entranceway, she pressed closer to his side. He kept her to his right so his body blocked her from view. They climbed the steps to the upper level. He paused at the door to her room. By rights, he shouldn’t enter.
She understood his hesitation, took Maxie from his arms, and lay him on his back on the buffalo robe. He snuffled once, threw his arms above his head, and slept.
Sophia covered him, then joined Buck at the doorway. “He’s a very sound sleeper.” She looked up at Buck. “Thank you for believing me and for offering to help.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “Stay here in the morning until I come for you.”
Her gaze searched his as if wanting to assure herself she could trust him. After a moment in which he didn’t dare blink, she nodded.
“I’ll wait for you.”
He paused, wanting more, but he couldn’t even say what he wanted. He let his gaze roam over her face and linger on her lips. Then he shook himself.
“Good night then.” He backed from the room and closed the door.
“Good night,” she called softly.
He went in search of the newcomers. He must learn who they were and what brought them to the fort this time of year.
And if they were from the Lorenzos, what would he do?
4
Sophia had been awake a long time before she heard the first sounds of the fort coming to life. The Mexican ladies could be heard preparing breakfast for their families. A man called to the animals in the corral and a mule brayed. Fresh smoke filled the air. She’d slept very little as her emotions ricocheted from one extreme to another. She’d decided to tell Buck what happened between her and Maximillian. And he believed her! She almost laughed aloud into the darkness. Instead, she let relief flood her with joy. Believing her was almost as good as saying she was a good mother, a worthy woman. Wait. Don’t start building castles out of dreams. She’d learned the risk of wanting something so badly that she ignored the warning signs. She’d known Maximillian’s parents didn’t approve of her. Her own mother had said Max only saw her as someone different than his usual friends. And if she would allow herself to confess it, Buck had spoken out because he’d seen the risks of a marriage between two such unlikely people.
It wasn’t because of their different stations in life that they weren’t happy as a married couple, she admitted. It was because their reasons for agreeing to marry weren’t valid. Like Buck said, Maximillian only wanted to defy his parents and exert some independence. And she was so flattered by the attention of a Lorenzo man that she didn’t allow herself to see past that.
She would not make the mistake again. And now with Maxie to consider, she didn’t consider another marriage a possibility. It would take more trust than she was capable of to think another man would love her son like his own. Her emotions fell to the bottom of the arc. Her own father had taught her about the difficulty of loving a child. He couldn’t even love his own flesh and blood enough to stick around.
No, she cautioned herself. It was enough to rely on Buck to protect her from the Lorenzos. All she would ask or accept from him was escape from Maximillian’s family.
Her traitorous feelings reminded her of how safe and valued she felt in the shelter of his arms as they sat in the wagon discussing her life with Maximillian. When was the last time a man had held her to offer com
fort and protection?
The answer was painfully simple.
Never.
Maximillian had been demanding from their first meeting, wanting her to allow him liberties that she couldn’t give him. Perhaps that had been part of his desire to marry her. Simply to conquer her.
In the darkness of her room, she made herself another promise. She would never again let a man conquer her.
Maxie stirred and she rose and prepared for the morning. Maxie went to the door and fussed, wanting to get out to eat and run.
“We must wait,” she soothed. Even if she hadn’t given her promise to Buck, she had no desire to venture out and run the chance of encountering the newcomers.
The sound of approaching footsteps sent a trickle of fear through her. What was to stop anyone from coming? The wooden slab between her and the rest of the fort provided minimal protection, though all she had to do was scream and a dozen people would race to her rescue. That is if she could make her voice work, for her throat had closed off. She grabbed Maxie and retreated to the far corner of the room.
The footsteps thudded to her door and stopped. Knuckles rapped.
“It’s me.”
She recognized Buck’s voice. Relief left her weak. She set Maxie on the floor and hurried to open the door.
Buck had removed his hat. His thick brown hair had been brushed back. His brown eyes watched her intently and smiled even before his mouth curved.
He had, she realized, the kind of strong face that made it almost easy to trust him.
“You’ll be relieved to know that those men that arrived yesterday are old trappers. They’ve come to replenish supplies, but I think they really came because they realized it’s almost Christmas and wanted to celebrate.”
Sophia hadn’t realized how heavy her worries had become until he made his announcement and her hands came up of their own accord as if freed from a weighty burden. She grabbed his arms and could barely restrain herself from hugging him.
“I’m so glad to hear that.” She turned to call Maxie forward but the boy was already at her knees. He pushed against Buck’s legs.
“Up.”
Sophia knew that’s what Maxie had said but didn’t know if Buck would recognize the word.
“It’s up you want, is it?” He lifted Maxie and swung him into the air earning him a belly laugh.
If Sophia wasn’t so intent on never again giving her heart to a man, she would have fallen in love with Buck right then and there as he settled Maxie in the crook of his arm and the two grinned at each other.
Buck didn’t even seem to mind that Maxie drooled over his hand. He turned to Sophia. “Shall we go to breakfast?” He offered her his arm and she rested her hand on it.
She ignored the question ringing in the back of her mind. Why was she acting like this was more than him protecting her?
As soon as they reached the ground, she stepped away. She would have taken Maxie too, but her son had eyes for no one but the big man grinning at him.
Mary Mae watched them approach. Her eyebrows reached for her hairline.
Sophia knew her friend would demand all the details of what had changed. As they reached the dining room, she took a protesting Maxie from Buck.
“Come along, Cole,” she murmured, sending Buck a look she hoped informed him he must continue to call her Greta and Maxie, Cole, as long as they were with others.
He nodded in understanding. His eyes darkened and his mouth turned up into a crooked grin.
She wondered what it meant until he patted Maxie on the back. It seemed he enjoyed spending time with her son.
“See you later, little guy.”
Maxie gurgled his pleasure.
She hurried to join the others, crowding in between Mary Mae and Donna Grace.
Mary Mae leaned close to whisper in Sophia’s ear. “I told you he could be trusted.”
Sophia whispered back. “That remains to be seen, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, you are such a doubter.”
Sophia shrugged. Her words were a good reminder to herself. She could expect only so much from Buck, and best if she remembered that.
She promised herself she wouldn’t look for him at the table across from where she sat, but she did anyway, and her gaze met his. At the way he looked at her—his eyes full of promise, and something more, that was surely only in her own wayward mind—her heart kicked so hard against her ribs she almost called out.
Afraid her friends would notice, she ducked her head and stared at the food on her plate, though it could have been unbaked beans for all the notice she took of it.
She barely realized when the meal was over. Only after Buck strode from the room did she see that her plate was empty, Maxie had somehow been fed and Mary Mae waited at her side.
Sophia rose and headed for the door. Mary Mae stayed right with her and managed to shepherd her to a bench in a quiet corner.
“Now tell me what happened!”
“Nothing really. Those strangers rode in last night as I was returning to the fort and I feared the Lorenzos might have sent them. You told me to trust Buck so I told him why I was hiding. He said he would make sure no harm came to Maxie.”
“Or you, I assume.”
Sophia shrugged, hoping her warm cheeks didn’t reveal the truth. “I guess so.”
Mary Mae squealed. “I’m so happy for you.”
Sophia composed her face then turned to her friend. “You’re happy that I live in fear of someone taking Maxie?”
Mary Mae sobered. “Of course not.” She grinned. “But you and Buck—” She hugged herself and looked so happy that Sophia had to laugh.
“You can stop being so pleased. There is no such thing as me and Buck.”
Mary Mae tilted her head and looked superior. “That’s what I said about me and Warren and now look at us.”
Sophia looked about. “Where is Warren?” A sure-fire way to divert Mary Mae from her current topic.
Mary Mae sighed. “He’s repairing wagons for our journey over the mountains.” She laughed. “Imagine, we—along with Luke and Donna Grace, and Gil and Judith—are going to start afresh in California.” Her eyes narrowed and she studied Sophia. “Are you coming with us?”
Her friend had suggested before that Sophia go west with them. She had seriously considered it, thinking it would provide the best escape. If the Lorenzos didn’t find her before then. “I might just do that if everyone approves of me going.”
“No reason they wouldn’t. Especially if Buck comes along.”
“Please don’t be linking my name with Buck’s like that.” She closed her eyes against the flash of a dream she’d had since she was a child. In her dream she lived with a man who loved and adored her and who would never leave her. She remembered how she imagined being swept off her feet in a welcoming embrace when the man returned home. The man had never had a face she could recall but her body knew the strength of those arms and the warmth in her heart.
With a jolt she saw the man now and he had Buck’s face. It couldn’t be. Her imagination was running wild.
She sprang to her feet. “I have something to do.”
Mary Mae called after her as Sophia hurried from the fort and turned right. Not until she saw Niteesh’s tent did she realize that was her destination.
Niteesh seemed to be waiting for her and caught her hand to draw her toward the fire. She waited for Sophia to get seated.
“You talk to Buck?”
Sophia nodded, too confused to talk.
Niteesh seemed to understand and prepared tea and handed Sophia a cup while Maxie and Lola played to one side.
“Buck is good man,” Niteesh said after a lengthy silence.
Again Sophia nodded. Her heart was so full of confusion she couldn’t begin to sort it out.
Niteesh touched Sophia’s knee. “You are worried.”
“I want to make Maxie a new shirt.” She almost laughed at her own words. Where had that thought come from, and yet, as soon as sh
e spoke, she knew it was what she needed to do.
The rest of her thoughts could drift away.
“Wait here.” Niteesh pushed to her feet, went into the tent, and emerged with a doeskin so soft Sophia pressed it to her cheek. Tears welled up for no reason other than the doeskin was like a gentle caress.
She shook her head. She did not need a gentle caress nor did she long for one.
“You make shirt. I show you.”
Sophia was about to refuse when she saw the look in Niteesh’s eyes. The woman was not simply offering a beautiful piece of leather, but her friendship. “Thank you. It’s the loveliest thing I’ve ever had.”
Niteesh showed her how to cut the skin into pieces the right size.
Sophia discovered sweet pleasure in handling the soft skin. It was exactly what she needed to calm her mental confusion. She had threaded a needle with the European thread Niteesh bought at the fort, when she heard Buck’s voice coming from along the river. Her nerves began an erratic dance.
Why was she letting this man affect her so strongly?
* * *
Buck saw Sophia sitting with Niteesh, her head bent over a sewing project. His heart hammered a response. He hadn’t expected to see her there. He’d gone hunting with Niteesh’s husband, Tarek, in the hopes of driving away the way his arms ached to hold both Sophia and Maxie close—solely to protect them and keep them safe. Or so he tried to convince himself. But his heart longed for something more. Something she signified—home and family.
Having learned how much it hurt to lose Edie and have his dreams die, he meant to deny himself the hope of reviving them.
Seeing Sophia and Maxie so unexpectedly triggered the feelings he struggled to bury.
Sophia glanced his way and looked as startled as he felt. Did he see a flare of welcome before she turned away?
It didn’t matter if he did or not. His only concern was keeping them safe out of respect for his friendship with Maximillian.
Little Maxie saw him and toddled over as fast as his short legs would carry him. He stumbled on a bit of sod, but he didn’t cry. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to Buck.
