Wildfire Creek

by Shirleen Davies

  “I don’t know as I’ve helped you much.”

  “You’ve helped a great deal. Now I must decide what to do.” Ginny pushed her chair back and picked up the empty plate.

  “I’ll take it. I’d feel better knowing you’re on your way back. You never know when the next storm will blow in, making the ride impossible.” She took the plate from Ginny’s hand and walked her to the door. “Don’t stay away so long next time.”

  Suzanne stood at the door, watching as Ginny climbed up onto the wagon seat.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Ginny called as she slapped the reins.

  I hope so, Suzanne thought, and walked back into her quiet restaurant.

  “No argument, Rachel. I’m taking you to see Charles tomorrow.” Dax sat next to her at the supper table, watching her pick at food she’d normally devour. He’d always marveled at the uninhibited way his wife ate, sometimes consuming almost twice his portion.

  “I can go myself, or have Ginny ride with me. You don’t need to take time from the herd.”

  “What good is being an owner if I can’t take my wife to see the doctor?” he asked.

  “He’s right,” Luke said, casting a look at Rachel. “He’d be useless to us with his mind on you anyway.”

  “I don’t know why you two are making an issue of this. I’m just a little more tired than usual and not as hungry.”

  “And you’ve been nauseous the last few days, the same as Bernice when she started getting sick. I have business with Horace Clausen at the bank anyway. I also want to talk with Noah and Gabe, find out if anyone else has spotted a young boy running wild.” He still didn’t quite believe Mary’s story of seeing a boy in the chicken coop. They’d posted a man the last few nights and he’d seen no one. Of course, Hank hadn’t noticed anything missing during that time, either.

  Ginny came into the room, carrying the beans she’d prepared, setting them on the table. “Is the meal all right?” She could hear the nervous tremor in her own voice. Luke had stayed away since his return from Denver, deciding to take supper at his own place. Tonight, Dax and Rachel both got on him. He had yet to say a word to Ginny.

  “The meat and potatoes are excellent,” Dax said, picking up the bowl of green beans and scooping up a large portion. “Why don’t you join us?”

  “Oh, no, but thank you. Mary’s working on the lesson Rachel gave her today. In fact, I’d better go check on her.” She turned toward the kitchen, wanting to get out of the room and away from Luke’s intense stare. He wouldn’t speak to her, yet he’d kept his eyes trained on her since coming in from the barn.

  “You know you’re going to have to speak to her at some point.” Dax shot a look at Luke.

  Luke grunted, but didn’t respond.

  “I had the impression the two of you were friends. Was I wrong?” Rachel asked.

  He knew they’d continue to bedevil him about Ginny until he answered. “Sure. We’re friends.” He glanced at Rachel. “She has a job to do here. It’s better if I keep my distance and let her do it.” Luke stood, tossing his napkin on the table. “Thanks for supper. I’ll be back in the morning before you leave for Doc Worthington’s.”

  Dax’s curiosity increased as he watched Luke walk away, grab his coat, and disappear out the door. They had no plans to send Ginny back to town, and Luke had no desire to ease the tension between them. He had to admire Ginny, at least she made an effort to speak with him. Dax never thought he’d believe it, but the truth was, Luke didn’t seem to be man enough to meet her halfway.

  “Do you think he’d act this way if he had no feelings for her?”

  “No, he wouldn’t.” Dax stood and walked toward the front window in time to see Luke ride off. He took the trail skirting the bunkhouse and disappeared, but not before he shot a look over his shoulder at the house. Dax shook his head and turned to Rachel. “There’s nothing we can do. He’s going to have to figure it all out for himself, the same as I had to.”

  Luke reined Prince to a stop and reached back into a saddlebag for his gloves. Slamming his hands into them, he picked up the reins and guided Prince toward the house. It wasn’t a narrow trail. The use of the wagon to haul supplies to the site had necessitated cutting back brush and tree limbs, opening a clear path from the ranch house to his place. Some nights the ride seemed to fly by. Tonight it felt as if he’d ridden for hours.

  He’d school himself all day to relax around Ginny, treat her the same as before she’d come to the ranch. Nothing had changed between them since he’d left for Denver.

  The change had happened before he left—the kiss outside her bedroom at the boardinghouse. He’d meant it to be quick and meaningless, but the way he’d felt taking her in his arms and pressing his lips to hers shocked him. The sensations were more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced, alarming him to the point that all he could do was walk away. He found keeping his distance didn’t help.

  His thoughts of her were constant, creating images that seemed to control him. It didn’t matter if he were at the ranch, in Denver, alone, or with others, remembering the feel of her haunted him. He wanted more than the kiss they’d shared. What scared him was the thought he might not be able to walk away if he ever held her again.

  Chapter Twenty

  Doc Worthington walked from the exam room to the area out front where Dax paced back and forth. He refused to let him in the room while examining Rachel, which had caused a strong response from Dax. Regardless, Charles insisted he leave the room.

  Dax swung around at the sound of the door opening and glared at the doctor. “Well?” His harsh, one word question emphasized how he felt at being relegated to the waiting room.

  Charles walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Come on in. Rachel needs to speak with you.”

  Fear gripped Dax as he nodded and followed Charles into the exam room. He’d fought battles, commanded hundreds of Confederate soldiers, seen unimaginable carnage, yet the thought of something happening to Rachel shook him like nothing else he’d experienced.

  She finished fastening the last button on her dress, a grim look on her face, as Dax stepped beside her. He could feel the large lump in his throat and worked to swallow as he waited for her to tell him what they faced.

  “I’ll be in the house.” Charles closed the door to the walkway connecting the clinic with his place in back.

  Dax steeled his expression, preparing himself for whatever Rachel had to tell him. She didn’t say a word as she picked up her coat and slipped her arms inside, allowing Dax to draw it up over her shoulders. She turned to face him, reaching for his hands, holding them tight as her gaze fixed on his.

  “We’ll need to do some shopping.”

  Dax stared at her, not comprehending her words. “Shopping?”

  “Of course, we can wait a while for what we need—about seven months.”

  Dax blinked, then grasped Rachel’s arms. “You’re…?”

  She smiled. “Yes. We’re having a baby.”

  “A baby…” he breathed out before pulling her tight against him.

  She threw her arms around his neck, not believing the mixture of relief and excitement she felt. In minutes, her uncle had figured out what had troubled her for weeks. She’d been stunned into silence when he said she was two months pregnant. Even as a nurse, she’d missed the signs. The reality of it had sunk in one piece at a time until her uncle had ushered Dax into the room and she told him the news.

  Dax pulled back, placing a kiss on her lips. “I suppose we should go speak with your uncle before going home. I hope he has some words of wisdom for us.”

  “He’s a doctor, but also a bachelor. Something tells me we’ll need to look elsewhere for advice.” Rachel grasped his hand, pushed open the back door, and walked the few steps to the house. Before she entered, Dax pulled her to him.

  He tried to speak, finding the words wouldn’t come to express how he felt. Instead, he just said, “I love you.”

  “Can I help?” Mary a
sked as she and Ginny headed toward the barn.

  “You can grab the stool and bucket for me, then talk real nice to Bessie.”

  Mary shook her head and tried to run in the heavy leather boots Ginny bought on her last trip to town. She slipped once and landed on her back, laughing as she jumped and continued toward the barn.

  Ginny followed her toward the back where Hank had everything ready. He’d asked her to take over milking the three cows twice each day, a job he’d been doing since Bernice became ill.

  She’d started just after dawn before gathering the eggs and preparing breakfast. Her parents owned one cow, which she milked twice daily. Three took considerably longer.

  Mary grabbed the stool and one bucket, placing each where Ginny needed them, then stepped away. She giggled as Ginny washed the underside of the cow with warm water, used a rag to dry the skin, then wrapped one hand, then another around two teats. She worked in a practiced motion as milk began to flow into the bucket, falling into a familiar rhythm within seconds. As the milk slowed to a stop, she changed to the two remaining teats, glancing over her shoulder at Mary, who stood mesmerized.

  “Mary, could you come over here?” Ginny asked. Mary stopped next to Ginny’s shoulder, not taking her gaze from where her sister’s hands gripped the cow. “Look here.” Ginny nodded toward her hands. As Mary leaned in closer, Ginny shot a stream of warm milk at her face, eliciting a shriek, then a string of giggles.

  Luke leaned against the barn entrance, arms crossed, watching the antics inside. Mary’s laughter increased as Ginny shot one more stream at her, causing the cow to shift and cast a look over her shoulder. Luke started forward, then stopped as she calmed the cow and resumed the milking. He settled back against the barn entrance, watching as Ginny’s hands worked one teat, then the other in slow, steady motions. He imagined the feel of her hands on him, groaning as his body responded to the image he created. He forced himself to look away, uncomfortable in body and mind at the direction his thoughts had taken.

  “Mr. Luke!” Mary shouted and ran toward him. “Did you see what Ginny did?”

  “Yes, I did,” Luke replied, keeping his eyes focused on Ginny.

  Ginny froze, glancing over her shoulder when Mary called Luke’s name. He’d told Dax he’d be at the house for supper. She just hadn’t expected him this early. She finished filling the bucket, placed it aside, and stood, untying the cow and walking her to a pen outside. As she turned toward the second cow, she felt someone come up behind her.

  “I’ll get her.” Luke reached in front of Ginny, taking the second cow from the pen and walking inside, securing her before grabbing an empty bucket. He swept his gaze over her before stepping out of the way, knowing the best decision would be for him to leave. Instead, he crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder against a stall.

  Ginny didn’t speak as she pulled the stool beneath her and repeated the process. She stopped more than once to wipe an arm across her brow, confused at the warmth sweeping over her. At one point she stood, shrugged off her heavy coat, and tossed it over the top rail of a nearby stall.

  “Hot?” Luke asked, knowing he felt the same warmth as Ginny. Except he knew it had nothing to do with the temperature in the barn.

  “Yes. It must be the heat from the cow.”

  “Maybe,” Luke answered, his voice husky.

  She finished the second, then the third cow, letting Luke swap the animals. Ginny picked up one bucket as Luke grabbed the other two and walked toward the house.

  “Mary, please get the door for us.”

  Dashing ahead, she threw the door open and ran toward the kitchen, reaching for a tin filled with cookies.

  “You’ll have to wait until after supper,” Ginny said as she and Luke set the buckets on a table.

  “May I have just one, Ginny? Please?”

  Ginny wiped a hand across her forehead as she looked down at Mary. She hadn’t started their supper, which would take at least a couple of hours to prepare. “One small one.”

  Luke took the tin from Mary’s hands, opened the lid, and let her reach inside. She selected the biggest one she could find and ran out before Ginny could notice.

  “She took a big one, right?”

  “Of course. Wouldn’t you?” Luke chuckled as he replaced the tin on the counter. He turned his attention to Ginny as she strained the milk through a porous cloth and into a stoneware crock, then placed a clean cloth over the top and set it aside. “These are good.” He took another bite of the cookie he’d pilfered before putting the tin away.

  “You think I’d bake bad cookies?”

  “I didn’t know what to expect.” He grinned as he tossed the last bite in his mouth. “I might have another.”

  She leaned over and slapped his hand away from the tin, trying to hide a smile. “Those are for after supper.”

  “If I don’t grab mine now, Dax may not leave me any.”

  “I’m sure he wouldn’t take them all.”

  “You didn’t grow up with him. Mother would bake a cake or pie and set it out to cool. Within minutes, he’d snatch it and dash into the woods behind our house, laughing.”

  “He didn’t eat it all, did he?”

  “Every bite.”

  “I hope you don’t believe the hogwash he’s feeding you.”

  Luke and Ginny turned to see Dax and Rachel standing behind them.

  “You mean you didn’t steal your mother’s cakes?”

  “Oh, they were stolen all right, but it was Luke doing the taking.”

  She shot a hard look at Luke. “You lied to me.”

  “The story itself is true.”

  “But the thief was you.” She shook her head, not surprised at his ability to turn a tale in his favor. “You all need to get out of my kitchen so I can start supper.”

  “I’ll help–” Rachel started.

  “No, you’ll rest, just as your uncle ordered.” He turned Rachel toward the stairs, then looked back over his shoulder at the two anxious faces. “She’s pregnant.”

  Luke’s jaw dropped at the same time Ginny let out a scream and ran to hug Rachel. “That’s wonderful news,” she said. “Do you need help with anything?”

  “I’m just tired right now. Uncle Charles says I have seven months to go. I’m certain there will be much to do before then.” She cast Ginny a weary smile and headed upstairs, Dax right behind her.

  Ginny watched as they disappeared into their room, then she walked back into the kitchen. “That’s wonderful news, isn’t it, Luke?”

  “Yes, wonderful.” His voice lacked the enthusiasm Ginny anticipated.

  Dax had spoken of the future when he and Rachel would have children. It had seemed so far off. At the time, Dax had mentioned his concern about delivering a baby in Splendor. Even with the medical care Charles could provide, pregnancies were risky. Luke had seen the fear on his brother’s face.

  “You don’t sound too happy about it.”

  Luke glanced over to see her perplexed look as her brows drew together. He heard no censure in her voice, just confusion at his somber statement.

  “No? Well…I am. I’m just concerned.” He glanced at the kitchen window at the soft flakes beginning to drop. “I’d better finish up a few chores before supper. Unless you need help in here.” He wanted to prolong the conversation and stay longer, the same as he had the night they’d walked to the boardinghouse from the Rose. The night he’d kissed her. He pushed the thought from his mind and strode from the room.

  “You’ll be staying then?” she asked as he stepped outside.

  He should say no. He’d already accomplished what he planned by riding to the house early—restore some level of friendship with Ginny. Luke didn’t need to stay. From the moment he watched her in the barn, he’d fought the urge to pull her to him and repeat the kiss which burned in his mind. He needed to know if the same searing sensations would consume him a second time, if his body would respond as before, and if she’d gaze up at him with the identical passi
on he felt.

  Luke turned back toward her, seeing the expectant look. In an instant, he lost all of his hard-earned self-control. He strode back inside, and in a few long, purposeful strides, stood before her. She looked up and blinked in confusion as his hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her to him. He’d stop if she tensed or backed away. She didn’t. He lowered his head and touched his lips to hers—once, twice, then claimed her mouth the way he’d wanted for weeks.

  He loosened his grip, moving his arms around her and splaying his hands on her back. Her hands slid up his arms in slow movements to his shoulders, until she’d wrapped them around his neck. He shifted, deepening the kiss as she moaned, pushing closer to him, setting off waves of heat coursing through his body. The intensity of her response surprised and encouraged him. He shifted once more, moving his hands to her head, holding her in place as he continued to explore her mouth.

  A cough from behind Luke had him dropping his arms and stepping away as Ginny jumped back. He could see a hint of red move up her neck to her face, and he turned toward Dax, blocking his view and hiding her embarrassed look.

  “I, uh…wondered if there might be any coffee left,” Dax said, noting the calm expression on Luke’s face. A sharp contrast to Ginny’s deep rose color.

  She swept a hand over her hair, slipping loose strands behind her ear, clearing her throat. “Yes… I mean no, but I can make some.” She turned toward the stove and grabbed the empty pot.

  Luke crossed his arms, not showing any remorse at being caught. “How is Rachel doing?”

  One corner of Dax’s mouth curved upward. “She fell asleep within minutes of lying down. Charles says she’s doing fine and all her symptoms are normal.”

  “She’s a smart, healthy woman,” Luke said, noting the anxious look on his brother’s face. “She knows what’s coming and what to do.” He clasped Dax on the shoulder. “Relax. It will all turn out fine.”

  “I helped my mother with Mary’s birth,” Ginny said as she stoked the fire in the stove.