* * *
Lawson ran a nervous hand through his hair. He hesitated for a moment then stepped into the Rutledges’ kitchen for breakfast. A quick sweep of the room revealed that it was empty of everyone except Kate. She glanced up from the pancakes she was frying and placed her hand on her hip. “It’s about time you showed your face in my kitchen, Lawson Williams. I was starting to get offended.”
He grinned. “You know I can’t stay away from your cooking for long.”
“The laces fell out again, Ma.” Timothy clomped into the room in his untied boots and stopped in his tracks at the sight of Lawson. “How come you don’t eat breakfast anymore? Don’t you get hungry?”
“I’m hungry today.” He gestured the boy closer. “How about some help with those boots?”
As he helped Timothy straighten out the tangled laces, Nathan arrived in the kitchen with baby Matthew in his arms and chuckled when he spotted Lawson. “I wondered how long it would take you to get sick of your own cooking.”
Timothy stopped him when he began tying the shoes. “Thank you, but I like to tie them.”
Lawson settled into his chair just as Ellie entered with her nieces in tow. Surprise painted her features just as it had the rest of her family’s. All right, so he couldn’t blame them for being surprised. He’d been taking meals with them less often lately. Today he settled into his normal place at the table because for the first time in a long time he hadn’t battled against his memories to win a few hours of sleep. No, last night he’d stayed awake thinking about Ellie.
He’d thought about the silly way she’d read her book upside down. He thought about the concern in her voice when they’d talked about his upcoming trip. He’d thought of the way she’d belittled her own courage. He’d thought about the words they’d shared at the door and the kiss she’d given him.
Ellie’s familiar hand slipped into his. He stilled for a moment before he realized Nathan was praying a blessing over the meal and over the day. She promptly removed her hand from his once the prayer was over. As breakfast progressed he couldn’t help but notice that Ellie seemed much more subdued than normal. He stole a glance at her to discover that her cheeks lacked their usual bloom and her eyes their usual sparkle. Had his rejection done this to her? She hadn’t seemed discouraged last night. She’d seemed eager—even excited—to face the challenge of winning him over.
When nearly everyone was finished, Nathan cleared his throat. “Well, before everyone rushes off, you might all be interested in meeting the new addition to our ranch.”
The whole table stilled except Grace and baby Matthew. Ellie leaned forward with the eagerness previously missing from her person. “Abigail had her foal.”
“She had a healthy colt.”
Kate grinned. “Now we get to name it.”
After breakfast the entire family walked out to the barn to welcome the new addition. As soon as Ellie’s pig caught sight of them, it gave an attention-grabbing screech. Lawson veered his path to open the pig’s pen. “Demanding little thing, aren’t you?”
Ellie paused to watch the pig hightail it toward the field at a brisk trot. “He isn’t very little anymore. He’s growing fast.”
“That only means he’s becoming even bigger trouble.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “You never did like Hamlet.”
“I don’t mind the play or the pig. It’s the man who gave it to you that I have a problem with.”
“Donovan Turner?”
“Nathan informed me of his latest maneuver.”
She rolled her eyes. “Nathan worries too much.”
He quirked a dubious brow. “The man sold his farm.”
“I know.” She couldn’t deny a grimace. “So he’s a little crazy and a little strange. That doesn’t mean he’s dangerous like Nathan seems to think.”
“No, it doesn’t. But there’s no harm in being cautious. Don’t let your guard down around him, and don’t go places alone.” Having delivered his words of advice, he would have rejoined her family, but she caught his arm to keep him from leaving.
“I have something for you.” She held up a folded piece of paper that she’d pulled from her pocket. “Let’s call it a declaration of intent.”
He caught her wrist to still her waving hand and took the paper from her. He opened it, trying his best to ignore the way she leaned against his arm to get a look at it, too. “What is this?”
“You’ll figure it out.”
He did. It didn’t take him long once he realized it was a list people who all had one thing in common—they were bachelors. Most of the names were lightly crossed out and were accompanied by a set of initials. His name was last on the list. It wasn’t crossed out. Instead, a bold circle set it apart from the others. He swallowed. “Those are your initials, aren’t they?”
“Yep.” She took the list, then folded it before placing it safely back in her pocket. “I thought you might like to know that I’m serious about this.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter that I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”
She patted his arm as she led him toward the barn. “Of course it matters. It just doesn’t change what I’m going to do.”
“It won’t work.”
“I think you’re just afraid that it will. One thing is certain...I’m going to have a whole lot of fun trying.”
He should be angry at her for ignoring his wishes. He should make her give up this game right here and now. He didn’t for one very simple reason. He was a man with a history of being abandoned, and being sought out might be a welcome change—even if he knew it wouldn’t last. He would be leaving for Clive’s ranch in a couple of days, anyway. He just had to stay strong until then.
* * *
A sharp whistle and a hiss of steam from the black iron giant announced the arrival of the ten-fifteen train into the station. As it lumbered to a stop, Ellie saw Lawson’s face turn a couple of shades paler before he set his jaw and stood a little straighter. For a moment she wished Nathan hadn’t trumped up a reason for her to accompany Lawson to the station instead of him. While she appreciated the few minutes she’d have alone with Lawson, Nathan might have had a better idea of what to say to make this trip easier on Lawson.
She hadn’t even realized she’d reached out to hold his hand or that he was holding it right back until she saw him staring down at it. He released her under the guise of collecting the lead ropes for the three horses he was taking with him. “Ethan better get here soon. I’m not doing this alone.”
“I could always go with you.”
The skeptical look she received told her just how likely that was to happen. “The town would love that. We wouldn’t step more than a foot off the train when we returned before they’d make us get married.”
She lifted a brow. “Maybe I should come then.”
“That isn’t funny.”
“It wasn’t a joke.”
She realized it probably wasn’t attractive to smirk, and glanced away from Lawson just as Jeff Bridger stopped to greet them. The metal deputy’s badge on his chest barely outshone his smile. “Don’t tell me you two are eloping?”
Her laughter clashed with Lawson’s exasperated tone. “We aren’t eloping.”
Jeff’s eyes twinkled. “A man can hope, can’t he? Well, it’s good to see you two together again.”
“We aren’t together,” Lawson corrected. His gaze brushed her before he continued quietly. “At least, not the way you mean.”
“Why are you two unchaperoned folks heading off by yourselves, then?”
“Lawson is taking those horses to a buyer. I’m just seeing them off.” Her fingers tightened on Starlight’s reins as she lifted her chin to indicate the horses under Lawson’s control. It was always hard to say goodbye to them after she’d spent so much
time helping raise and train them. Starlight seemed to sense her mood and shuffled closer until Ellie was able to lean against her.
Jeff eyed the other horses and whistled. “They sure are beautiful. I wouldn’t want to handle all three of those horses alone, Lawson. Maybe you should take Ellie with you.”
“No. Ethan Law—Larue is going with me.” Lawson’s brow lowered into a weary expression. “His uncle is the one who bought them. There’s Ethan now. We’d better get these horses loaded.”
They said goodbye to Jeff and met Ethan near the stock car. Lawson stepped forward to speak with the man in charge of loading the horses, so she turned to meet Ethan’s blue eyes with a smile. “I have a surprise for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes.” She opened her reticule and pulled out his freshly laundered handkerchief. “I bet you thought I’d stolen it for good.”
He chuckled. “To tell the truth, I’d forgotten all about it. Thanks for returning it. I’m glad to be leaving you much happier than I found you.”
Lawson returned and tied the horses to a nearby hitching post. “Ellie, Wesley says Ethan and I should take our seats. Seems he’s particular about loading the horses himself. Will you watch to make sure they get on all right?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks. Time to go, Ethan.”
“Bye, Ellie. I’ll leave you two to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Ethan.” She returned his parting smile then turned to Lawson. “Well, I guess this is it.”
“Yep. Remember to have Sean see you home.” His gaze met hers for an instant before it darted away. “See you in a week.”
She blinked and he was already hurrying to catch up with Ethan. There was no way he was in that much of a hurry to start this trip, which could only mean that he was trying to avoid her. She should have expected that since he’d had plenty of practice at it over the past three days.
She narrowed her eyes, tied Starlight’s reins to a post and rushed after him. “Lawson Williams, stop right there.”
He frowned at her and didn’t stop but slowed his pace. “Ellie, I have to catch the train.”
“You know I care about you even if you refuse to admit that you return my feelings. You’re leaving for a week. Can’t you muster up something better than that pathetic excuse for a goodbye you just gave me?”
“You mean like a kiss?”
She froze in surprise. “Yes, if you’re offering it.”
“Well, since I’ll be gone a whole week, I reckon one kiss wouldn’t hurt.” He slipped one arm around her waist and the other behind her back to dip her back slightly. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before setting her upright. “Goodbye, Ellie.”
“You aren’t half as funny as you think you are.” She wrinkled her nose at his wink, then placed her hands on her hips and watched him walk away laughing. “We’ll see who gets the last laugh when I buy my ticket and get on that train.”
He sent her one last warning look before he mounted the steps and disappeared into the railcar. She rubbed her forehead. “I guess something is better than nothing.”
The conductor gave another call as she wandered back to where she’d left her horse. Starlight was gone. She glanced around the bustling train station. An ominous bang announced the closing of the last stock car. She turned to face the train with a dreadful sense of foreboding. She rushed to the attendant that had been helping Lawson. “Wesley, where is my horse?”
“How should I know?”
“You’ve seen my horse. She’s white with a gray mane. I left her tied right there.”
He washed his hand over his face. “Lawson told me to put all the horses tied there on the train.”
Her frantic gaze flew to the stock car. “You have to get her off that train.”
“That’s impossible. The train will be leaving any minute. There’s no time.”
“But the train can’t leave with my horse on it!” She glanced around for help and caught sight of Jeff standing nearby. “Deputy, please make this man take Starlight off that train.”
“I told her I can’t do that.” The attendant shook his head. “Lawson said he was coming back. I’m sure he’ll bring your horse.”
She turned to Jeff entreatingly. She couldn’t be sure but she thought she caught the tail end of a wink. “I saw the whole thing. You loaded that horse into a different stock car. Lawson will never know Starlight is there.”
Wesley scratched his head. “Come to think of it, you might be right.”
“You saw the whole thing? Why didn’t you stop him?”
Jeff shrugged. “Maybe you’re supposed to go on this trip after all. The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
“Oh! You can’t blame this on Him.” She panicked as the train began to move. “What do I do?”
Jeff caught her arm and rushed her toward the passenger car. “You’re going to get on that train. You can get off at the next stop and collect your horse, then ride back to town. Maybe you and Lawson will part better farther down the road.”
“I don’t want to see him. I just want my horse.” The plan sounded crazy, but she didn’t have time to think of an alternative. She hopped onto the moving train with his help. Bracing herself, she turned toward Jeff and yelled, “I don’t have a ticket!”
He just waved and smiled. She wanted to throw something at him. This was ridiculous. She should jump off. She stared at the ground passing by in front of her. Too late to go back now. She gritted her teeth. “I’ve been bamboozled!”
Chapter Fourteen
There was nothing she could do but climb the stairs and open the door to the train car. She scanned it for Lawson and Ethan and found them seated at the very front of the car. They hadn’t seen her. Her first instinct was to rush over to them and demand they do something to help her. Then she remembered her foolish jest to Lawson about joining him on the train. She quickly slid onto the nearest open seat. He’s going to think I’m trying to trap him into marrying me.
The man across from her grinned. “You almost didn’t make it.”
She smiled weakly. “Did the conductor pass through here yet?”
“No, miss,” he said before he disappeared behind his newspaper.
“Oh.” She swallowed. “Good.”
She probably only had a few minutes before she would be kicked off the train in high style. She closed her eyes. Well, that would be fine with her. She just wanted to get her horse and leave. She bit her lip nervously. Would the conductor be more or less lenient if she was traveling under the protection of two men?
She shifted in her seat to peek at them, then abruptly sank down in her seat when the conductor entered the car. Five minutes later, he made it down the aisle to stand in front of her. “Ticket.”
“I don’t have one,” she said quietly as though a lack of volume might lessen the seriousness of her offense.
His lips turned down into what seemed to be a familiar expression to his face. “What did you say?”
She winced at the censure of his question and the weight of her traveling companions’ glances. “I’m sorry. It really isn’t my fault. You see, the man loading the livestock car accidentally put my horse on the train and he wouldn’t let me get it off.”
“So you thought that entitled you to a free ride?”
“No. I was still trying to figure out what to do when my friend took action and practically forced me on the train.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
She held up her right hand as though swearing on a Bible. “I’m telling the truth. I promise. You can let me off right now if you want. Please, just let me get my horse. Her name is Starlight. I’ve had her since she was born. The poor girl is probably scared crazy.”
The man across from her lowered the newspaper and eyed first her
, then the conductor. “If you stop this train, I’m getting off, too. It’s already running late. I have places to be even if the rest of these folks don’t.”
The conductor frowned harder. “The next stop isn’t for another fifty miles. I can’t keep her on the train that long without a ticket.”
“I can pay my fare—”
“I don’t take money. I just take tickets.”
The woman next to her shifted forward to enter the fray. “I hope you aren’t seriously considering putting this young woman off the train. Look out the window. There’s nothing out there but open land, rattlesnakes and probably a few outlaws. Anything could happen to her.”
“Let her stay,” the newspaper man said, as though that settled it.
The conductor crossed his arms. “All right, missy, you can stay until we get to the next stop. At that time I will personally see to it that you take your horse and yourself off this train. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I will also report you to the company so they’ll know what to do if you take any unplanned trips in the future.”
Ellie let out a sigh of relief when he turned to the other side of the aisle. She waited until he left the car to thank her traveling companions. The man across from her sent her a conspiratorial wink before returning to his newspaper while the woman sitting next to her patted her hand comfortingly, and started a conversation that lasted for nearly the entire fifty miles.
The train finally stopped at the next station, and the disembarking passengers began to file past her. She started to rise but the man across from her shook his head. “Wait for the warden. He wanted to see you off personally, remember?”
“Oh, right.” She perched on the seat again while her gaze combed the aisle for a sign of the conductor. She was greeted instead with the sight of Lawson and Ethan rising from their seats. This was their stop, too. She grimaced. If they didn’t see her, she could return home without Lawson ever knowing she was here.
A Texas-Made Match Page 15
