“Laura, are you all right?”
Laura pulled against the tug on her arm, but her tension eased at the sound of the familiar voice. She stared up at the man, whose face was shadowed by the darkness outside. An intense feeling of relief washed over her, which was quickly replaced by anger. Cade had returned.
“I wasn’t trying to startle you,” he said, releasing her arm. He moved fully into the house, and pulled his hat from his head. “I saw the light in the window, and figured you must still be awake. I just wanted to let you know that I was back.”
Laura sucked in a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. Then she glared at him. “Where have you been all day?”
Cade’s lips twitched. A day’s growth of dark whiskers shadowed his clean-shaven face from this morning. It only added to his roguish, handsome features.
“I apologize. I had a lot of catching up to do with an old friend, and the time just slipped away. I didn’t think you’d be that worried about me.”
“Worried about you?” Laura echoed. Her voice rose, but she quickly dropped it to a low hiss. “The only thing I worried about was Jonah, and what would happen to him if his father didn’t come back.”
Cade’s face sobered. “I told you this morning I’d be back. Did you think I’d just abandon him with you?”
Laura met the incredulous look in his eyes. It was exactly what had gone through her mind all day. That, and visions of Cade lying dead in a gully somewhere. Abruptly, she turned her face away.
“I saved you some supper. It should still be warm.”
His easy grin returned. “Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
Laura returned her rifle to the wall by the door, and headed for the kitchen. “I can’t tell you what to do or where to go, but I have a right to know where you ride off to until late into the night.” She spun on her heels to face him. “Jonah has a right to know.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said. He took a step closer. “It won’t happen again.”
Laura nodded. There was no sense continuing the argument. She reached for the plate she’d kept warm on the stove, and set it on the table. She raised her eyes, and froze. Cade still stood, just looking at her.
Her mouth went dry. Why hadn’t he sat? “Eat your supper,” she commanded, to cover up the sudden flutters in her belly.
“You looked much prettier this morning, with your head and hair uncovered,” he said in a low tone. “I’ve had a hard time getting you out of my mind all day.”
Laura lowered her head. Her cheeks flamed. No one had ever paid her such a compliment. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. A chair leg scraped against the wooden floor, and she glanced up. Cade sat, and picked up his fork. He stabbed at the greens on his plate.
“And I haven’t had such good, home-cooked food in a long time. Maybe never.” He glanced up at her. “A man could get used to this.”
Laura’s knees weakened. She grabbed for the chair opposite him, and sat.
“If you think flattery is going to get me to forgive you for riding off the way you did this morning, you’re sorely mistaken.”
She raised her chin. She leaned forward, and her eyes narrowed. If she didn’t get the upper hand quickly, she’d be eating out of his palm in another second, and by the look in his eyes, he knew it. She couldn’t afford to let these butterflies, these stirrings Cade brought forth in her, take over. She’d only get hurt.
“Would you care to tell me where you’ve been all day? I think a little honesty isn’t too much to ask.”
Cade piled more food in his mouth and chewed, then met her stare. “You’re right,” he said slowly. “It’s not.”
“Well?” Laura prodded, when he didn’t continue. “You said you visited a friend. Who do you know around here?”
“I spent much of the day with Trace Hawley at the Red Cliff Ranch. Maybe you know him. He’s your neighbor.”
Laura’s eyebrows shot up. “Trace?”
She tilted her head to the side. Trace Hawley and his wife, Katherine, were two of the nicest people she’d ever met. They owned one of the largest ranches in the territory. Unlike the owner of the Diamond K, her other wealthy neighbor, the Hawleys had always been nice, and had welcomed her and Noah to the valley last spring. Sally, Trace’s sister, hadn’t recognized Cade the other day. If he was friends with Trace, wouldn’t Sally know him, as well?
“We’re not the closest of friends, but we used to get along all right,” Cade said, and continued eating.
“Used to?”
Cade set his fork down, and pushed his plate to the side. He rested his elbows on the table, and leaned forward. His eyes didn’t leave her face. “Trace was holding onto some papers for me. I went to collect them.”
Laura shook her head, and her forehead scrunched.
Cade wiped a hand over his face. “Papers on Cloud,” he elaborated. “He’s worth a lot of money, but not without his papers. I didn’t want him to fall into the wrong hands while I was . . .”
He stood abruptly, and turned his back to her. Laura waited. She wasn’t going to interrupt him now. If he was going to talk, she’d keep quiet to allow him to pick his own pace to divulge more information about himself. A minute of silence passed before he turned back to face her again.
“Laura, being here, helping around the place, and seeing Jonah so happy has got me thinking the last few days.” He approached the table again, and sat down. The pained expression on his face went straight to her heart. She smiled in encouragement.
“I need to settle down, for Jonah, and give my son a proper home.” He locked his gaze onto hers. “I have a good stud horse with nice bloodlines. You’ve got some decent mares. I’d like to make you a business proposition.”
Laura sat up straighter. She hadn’t guessed where Cade was going with what he was saying, but his last words took her completely by surprise.
“Business proposition?” she echoed.
He nodded, never taking his eyes off her. “You’ve got mares that ain’t been bred. You won’t make good on your late husband’s dreams that way. I’m offering you a partnership. We split the profits fifty-fifty from next year’s foal crop. I stay on, fix the place up, and take care of the business end of things.”
Laura stared at him in confusion. “What you’re offering seems to benefit me more than you. Why would you want that kind of deal?”
Cade smiled. “Jonah gets a place to call home, until I can buy my own land.” His smile widened into a grin. “And I get more of your home-cookin’. I see it as a win-win for both of us.” He leaned forward over the table, and his stare intensified. “Having a man around the place might keep those thugs off your property, too.”
Laura shook her head. The idea sounded too good to pass up, but why would a man want to sacrifice so much for her? No doubt he could go to work somewhere else where he would see immediate income, not have to wait more than a year.
Cade ran a hand through his hair. “Look, it’s late. Why don’t you sleep on it, and give me your answer in the morning.”
He stood first, grabbed for his hat on the table, and headed for the door. Laura followed him. He turned when he was out on the porch. “Think about it,” he said, and set his hat on his head.
“All right.” Any other response escaped her at the moment. Maybe after a good night’s sleep, she’d be able to think more clearly.
“Good night, Laura.” He nodded, and headed down the porch steps toward the barn.
“Good night, Cade,” she whispered. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Closing the door, she leaned her back against the wood, and stared into the empty room. She’d told him she wanted some honesty between them, but his proposition had taken her completely off guard, and she knew just as little about him as before.
Chapter Ten
Cade leaned over the grain box, dipped the wooden bucket into the oats, and pulled it back out. The box was nearly empty. Looked like Laura was due for a trip into town for some supplies. He glanced u
p at the non-existent barn roof. Thankfully, it hadn’t rained in the days since he’d bunked down in here, but his luck wouldn’t hold much longer.
He strode to the pen outside, where Cloud paced the fence in anticipation of the feed.
“If things work out, you’ll get the run of the pasture with the ladies soon.” Cade poured the grain into the feed trough, and patted the stallion’s neck. His eyes roamed over the horse. He’d seen him as a spindle-legged, black colt after he’d been foaled about five years ago, right around the time Jonah was born. He’d matured into a fine horse, just like his father-in-law had told him he would. He’d missed out on watching the colt grow, just as he’d missed out on holding his son and watching him turn from a baby into the boy he was now. Cade clenched his jaw, and shut the door on the memory.
Cade squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Soon after coming to Montana, he’d met Wawesteka, and fell in love. He’d thought he’d left the old life behind in Texas. His chest wound burned from the tension that flowed through him. He’d been wrong.
Swiping a gloved hand across his jaw, Cade turned back to the barn. His eyes roamed the structure, following the frame to see which parts could be salvaged. Some beams were charred black, while a few had survived the fire unscathed. It might be best to tear the entire thing down, and start over.
He glanced into each of the eight stalls, kicking at some of the wooden boards to test their integrity. He entered the last stall on the left. A large piece of burlap covered, what appeared to be, some crates stacked in the corner.
The burlap fell away when he gave it a quick tug, exposing several pieces of old and weathered furniture. Cade coughed, and wiped a hand in front of his face to diffuse the dust that swirled through the air.
A couple of chairs, and a desk with a broken leg were stacked haphazardly on top of each other. His eyes fell to an irregular-shaped object covered by cloth. Cade pulled it away to expose what was underneath. He blinked, and stared at a wooden cradle, dusty and charred at one end. Stacked inside was a carved rocking horse, which didn’t appear to be finished, yet. He cursed under his breath before covering the items again. Had Laura lost more than a husband in that fire?
His insides seethed, and his pulse pounded at his temples. He should have carried out his initial plan yesterday when he’d had the chance, what he’d come back to Elk Lodge to do in the first place, and put a bullet in the skull of the man who’d destroyed so many lives. Instead, he’d made another deal with the devil, to keep Laura safe. Cade smirked, images filling his head of yesterday’s conversation with the man he loathed above all others.
“Laura Engelman?”
Jack had sounded more than a little surprised when Cade had told him to stay away from her. His eyes had widened as if something had just made sense to him.
“You’re the unknown rider who killed one of my men, and threatened Boyd the other day?” He laughed.
“Next time you send your men to do your dirty work, I won’t simply chase them off,” Cade had sneered.
Jack had laughed some more, and poured himself another drink. “You used to be my most reliable man.”
“And I told you five years ago, I was through with you.”
Jack had taken a leisurely sip of his whiskey, then stared at him. “I see four years in jail wasn’t long enough to teach you a lesson to never go against me.” He’d taken a step closer, his eyes drilling into Cade. “I could have seen to it that you hanged, but I asked for leniency.”
Cade had stood his ground, and scoffed. “Asked? Knowing you, you paid off the judge. You actually thought I’d come running back here, after what you did to me?” His face had sobered. “Since when do you prey on poor settlers? Laura Engelman can’t possibly have something that you want.”
Jack sipped at his drink. He turned his back, and glanced out the window. “Oh, but she does.”
Cade’s forehead wrinkled. “She owns maybe a couple hundred acres. Most of it isn’t even suitable for your horses and cattle. It’s all timber and hills.”
Jack smiled smugly, and looked him up and down. “You seem to have taken a knack to rooting for the underdog. First, that Injun squaw, and now that mousy settler woman? I thought you’d set your sights a bit higher than that.”
Cade’s fists clenched at his sides. His fingers itched to wrap around Jack’s neck. “Why are you bothering Laura?”
Jack set his tumbler on the table in the middle of the room, and faced him. He pulled a cigar from his pocket, and bit off one end. Sticking it in his mouth, he lit a match. He blew smoke from his mouth in a long, drawn-out breath before he spoke again.
“Last summer, we had one of the worst droughts I’ve seen since coming to Montana. My well dried up, and so did the stream. The Engelman property has a year-round water source coming out of the hills that wasn’t affected by the drought at all. ”
Cade shook his head. “So why not simply ask her for some of the water?”
Jack smirked. “I made that cowardly husband of hers a generous offer on his property.”
“So when he refused, you burned down his barn. You’re responsible for his death, and for what happened to Laura.”
Jack shrugged. “When I heard about that barn fire, and that unfortunate accident, I offered Noah Engelman’s widow more than double what her place was worth. She could have started fresh somewhere else. Been well off, too.”
Cade’s body tensed worse than before. There was no reasoning with Jack. If he was going to get anywhere, he’d have to play Jack’s game.
“What’s it gonna take for you to leave Laura alone? She’s not going to sell to you, especially not after all the damage you’ve done to her.”
Jack’s smile widened in triumph. “Seems to me, you’ve already gotten on her good side.” He raised his hand in front of him, the smoke from the cigar swirling through the air as if he was painting a picture. “Imagine a woman, all alone, and suddenly a man shows up and offers her his protection. I must commend you for that. It’s a brilliant plan, something I should have thought of myself.” He moved forward, and slapped Cade’s back, then leaned and whispered close to his ear. “She might not want to sell to me, but I have a feeling you might be able to change the lady’s mind.”
“Cade?”
Laura’s soft voice called from the house, dissolving yesterday’s unpleasant conversation. Cade’s head lifted in her direction, seconds before Jonah came running into the barn.
“Breakfast is ready.” The boy came to a skidding halt in front of him. His bright eyes and smile of pure joy on his face were contagious. Cade returned his son’s smile. “Miss Laura said you came back last night.”
Cade knelt to the boy’s level. “I hope you didn’t think I left. Time just slipped away from me. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Miss Laura said you would be back,” he nodded.
Cade stood, and patted Jonah’s head. He grinned. Miss Laura’s magic was obviously working on his son, just as much as it had been working on him.
“Well, let’s not keep Miss Laura waiting with breakfast.” Cade glanced in the direction of the house.
Laura had already set the table when he and Jonah walked into the kitchen. Cade’s mouth watered from the smell of biscuits and gravy. Their eyes met, and something jumped in Cade’s chest. Her soft eyes, the way her cheeks turned a shade of pink, and the slight twitch at the corner of her lips tugged at him. He’d experienced sensations like the ones he was feeling now only once for another woman, and even then, it had been different.
When he’d first met Wawesteka, he’d been barely twenty years old. She’d been the first girl, and the most unlikely girl, to ever seriously catch his eye.
“Could I have a word with you after breakfast, Cade?” Laura’s eyes rose expectantly, and Cade focused his attention back to her.
No, looking at Laura sent a different jolt to his system. She wasn’t quiet and reserved like the Indian girl he’d married. Laura spoke her mind, and stood up for hersel
f. Wawesteka had been soft-spoken and demure, like a proper Piegan woman was raised to be.
She’d been unlike any girl Cade had ever met, and her exotic beauty had attracted him to her. Up until then, he’d lived by intimidating others with his gun, because it was expected of him, and he’d followed orders without question. The demure Indian girl had opened his eyes to a different kind of life, a life away from violence and threatening others.
“Cade?”
Laura stared at him with expectant eyes. She motioned for him to sit. Jonah was already working on devouring a heaping pile of biscuits drenched in gravy and chunks of meat.
Cade shook his head, and sat. Why the hell was he comparing the two women? They were completely opposite. While he’d been attracted to Wawesteka’s quiet beauty, he was falling fast and hard for Laura’s independent and strong-willed nature. Truth be told, she suited him better, was more his equal, and set his heart to flutter in a different way than his first love, the girl he’d married when he’d barely grown out of boyhood into a man.
Laura poured coffee and set it next to his plate. He looked up at her. Confusion and apprehension registered in her hazel eyes, along with something else, when she returned his glance. Cade reached for the coffee to keep from touching her hand.
“Sit and eat,” he prodded. “What did you want to talk about?”
Laura glanced at Jonah, who’d just stuffed the remaining piece of biscuit in his mouth. Looking like a chipmunk, he washed his food down with the glass of milk that sat next to his plate.
“If you’re finished, why don’t you make sure Cloud has water, and get the chickens fed?” Cade nudged.
Jonah nodded, and carried his plate to the bench. When the front door squeaked on its hinges, Cade returned his attention to Laura.
“Did you think about what I said last night?”
He took a bite of biscuit, the morsel melting in his mouth. Laura shoved her food around her plate with her fork, then she sat straighter, and looked him in the eye.
In His Touch: Blemished Brides Book 2 Page 7
