Laura nodded in understanding. He didn’t need to say any more, especially not in front of the little boy. Some of the folks in Elk Lodge apparently recognized him as a man who had killed another man. She smiled.
“We make quite a pair, don’t we?”
Cade’s eyes twitched. He returned her smile, but it wasn’t the easy carefree smile she’d come to know from him. “How do you figure?”
“We’re both accused of a crime we didn’t commit, and the people here look badly at us for it.” She tilted her head. “Although, in your case, Mr. Wilkes acted almost afraid of you.”
Cade chuckled. “Maybe he thinks I’ll be coming after him next.” He winked, his smile still strained. He appeared to be trying too hard to act relaxed, but she’d been around him enough now to notice the tension in his body.
Laura studied his handsome face. Why was it that, whenever he told her something about himself, there seemed to be more that he wasn’t saying?
“Ready to head back home? I mean, back to your farm?” The muscles along his jaw tightened.
Laura offered him a soft smile. Butterflies churned in her, and her extremities tingled. Referring to her small piece of property as his home went straight to her heart. He’d made a show of purchasing fabric for her in front of those other women, because he’d clearly noticed how they were whispering behind her back. How could a man, who’d no doubt been hardened by his experience in jail, be so considerate? Noah hadn’t paid her half as much attention as Cade did. It became increasingly difficult to think of him as a stranger.
“I’m sure Mr. Wilkes is waiting to load the buckboard,” she said. “And yes, I am more than ready to head back home.” She met his eyes.
Cade reached for Jonah’s hand, and held out his other arm to her. Laura glanced around. People went about their business along the main street through town. Every now and then, someone would stare, and some folks who’d obviously recognized her, whispered.
“They’re talking about me, not you,” Cade murmured. “They’re wondering how a scoundrel like me got so lucky to be in the company of such a beautiful woman.”
Laura stood, rooted to the spot. She stared up into this man’s eyes. There wasn’t a hint on his face that would indicate that he was mocking her.
“Let’s go get out of here,” he suggested.
How long she’d stood, just staring at him, eluded her. He nudged with his elbow, and Laura slipped her hand around his arm. The firm muscles beneath his shirt sent a sharp rush of longing though her. Visions of Cade standing in front of her with nothing but a towel around his waist suddenly took over her thoughts. She crossed herself mentally. A slight breeze did little to cool her sudden flushed cheeks.
“Jack Kincaid? My goodness, it’s been a long time since I seen you.”
Laura stopped abruptly. Her heart slammed against her ribs, and her stomach churned. Her head shot in the direction of the man who hurried down the sidewalk toward them. He was well-dressed, obviously a business man. Next to her, Cade’s muscles had gone rigid. A low curse rumbled from him.
“It sure has been a long time, Abner.”
The deep, rich drawl of another man came from behind them, and Laura’s head whipped around. She released her hold on Cade just as Jack stepped around them to greet the one who looked to be rushing toward them. His black suit was impeccably clean, as were his boots.
Jack Kincaid, the man who haunted her dreams with nightmares, reached for the other man’s hand, and gave it a firm shake. He slapped the man he’d called Abner on the back, and led him off the sidewalk onto the street, and thankfully, away from them. She ground her teeth. What were the odds that she would see him today?
“Let’s go, Laura,” Cade growled next to her. He took hold of her hand, and nearly dragged her and Jonah behind the mercantile to where her buckboard stood waiting.
Laura glanced over her shoulder before Cade rounded the corner. Her heart leapt up into her throat. Jack stared back at her, a smug grin on his face.
Chapter Fourteen
“I should put a bullet in your head right now.”
The sound of laughter echoed as if it came through a distant tunnel.
“Then why haven’t you?” The older man, his hair graying along the sides of his temples, smirked, and casually puffed on his cigar.
Cade clenched his fists at his sides, his fingers sliding over the butt of his sidearm strapped to his hip. It would be so easy to kill the man who stood in front of him. He should have done it years ago. He couldn’t do it now. He had something to live for, a son who needed him, and a woman whose simple smile made life worth living again. If he shot Jack, he’d never leave the Diamond K alive.
“A bullet is too good for you,” Cade sneered.
Jack laughed again. “That Injun squaw made you soft. I was hoping a few years in jail would make you remember who you really are, and bring you back to your senses.”
“It brought me back to my senses all right. I realized that I’ll never do your bidding again.” He glared at the older man. “Now, what’s it gonna take for you to stay away from Laura Engelman? Name your price, and I’ll pay it.”
Jack studied him through narrowed eyes. “Does she know who you really are, Cade?” He spoke the name in a mocking tone, and took a step closer. “I’d wager the lady has no idea who she’s got living under her roof. Do you really think you can keep her from finding out? She’ll hate you, and just as soon put a bullet in you than ever trust you.” Jack blew more smoke from his mouth. “You’ll tuck tail and come right back to me when that happens.”
“I’ll never come back to the Diamond K,” Cade snarled.
Jack shot him a smug, indulgent, look. “Until you come to your senses, your secret’s safe with me. Just keep Mrs. Engelman eating out of your hand.”
“I just told you, you’ll never get me to come back.”
“If that time in jail has taught you nothing else, it should have made you realize that I always get my way. I warned you not to marry that filthy Injun. If you don’t cooperate, that half-breed kid of yours might just meet the same fate as his mama. That Engelman woman can’t be worth more than the life of your son.” He puffed on his cigar again, and turned his back.
Cade faced Laura, who stood next to him. She glanced from him to Jack, a puzzled look on her face. Cade reached for her, and pulled her into his arms. She came willingly, pressing up against him. She reached her hand behind his neck, and urged him toward her.
Cade groaned, and covered her mouth with his. Her lips parted beneath his, and he tightened his hold around her. He wasn’t going to lose her to the bastard who stood just a few feet away.
Abruptly, Laura pulled away from him. Her smile vanished, and her eyes turned cold with fear and hate.
“You lied to me, Cade. You should have told me the truth. I trusted you.”
A rooster’s shrill crow replaced the mocking laughter that rang in Cade’s ears. He woke with a start. He groped for the Remington by his duster that he used for a pillow, gripping the handle when his fingers made contact with cold steel. He bolted upright on his pallet, and panted. Sweat soaked his face and neck. He clutched at the bandage around his chest, and cursed. His jaw hurt – he must have ground his teeth in his sleep.
He threw the blanket that covered him to the side, and scrambled to his feet. The cold air that blasted him was a welcome reprieve to his heated body. Running a trembling hand along his jaw, he glanced around the charred walls of the stall where he’d bunked down for the better part of three weeks now. The night sky had already given way to the gray light of early morning.
Cade stumbled from the barn. He blinked, and stared off into the distance. A ghostly veil of mist covered the ground that stretched across the valley. He headed for the watering trough in Cloud’s empty pen, and splashed the frigid liquid on his face. A week ago, he’d turned the stallion loose on the hillside pasture with the small band of mares Laura owned. Hopefully the horse would do his job, and there’d b
e some foals next spring.
He cursed under his breath. He might not be here to see any of them born. He’d have to remember to ask Trace Hawley if he could send one of his men to help Laura with the foals, and give her some recommendations for buyers. Come to think of it, he needed to transfer Cloud’s title of ownership into her name. Regardless of what happened down the road, he’d make sure that she was well taken care of.
There was no doubt that she’d take Jonah and raise the boy if anything happened to him. By the time he had everything in place so that Laura didn’t lose her farm, he’d be a wanted man again, with a price on his head, but not by the law this time.
Hopefully, he’d find something to bring Jack down before the bastard got wind that he wasn’t going to play his game. All he needed was some time so he could figure out why the man was so interested in Laura’s farm. In the meantime, Jack could continue to believe that Cade had run scared, and was now working to get Laura to sell out by trying to win her over.
Cade returned to the barn, and picked his shirt up off the ground. He pulled it on, buttoned it, and tucked the tails into his britches. A quick glance toward the house told him that Laura was awake. Smoke rose from the chimney, and a light flickered in the window.
Warmth infused him, as if the glow from the light heated his insides. Except for today, when he’d woken up from that nightmare, his first thought every morning was of Laura, and she was the last thing on his mind when he closed his eyes at night. He’d kept himself busy during the long days, working on the repairs to the barn, but not busy enough to keep from thinking about her.
They’d settled into an easy routine the day after their trip into town. Laura had, thankfully, dismissed their encounter with Jack, and Cade hadn’t brought it up, either. She’d apparently been more flustered about the fabric he’d bought for her to make a new dress. She’d chided him for the gift, but the rosy glow of her cheeks and the way she tried to hide the smile on her face for hours after they arrived back at the farm had left him with a satisfied feeling. If only he could openly give her more.
The day he returned with the lumber he’d ordered and started work on the barn, she’d asked him to move back into the house.
“There’s no sense for you to live out in that barn. You don’t even have a roof over your head out there,” she’d argued over supper that evening.
“And what are folks gonna say when they catch wind that you’ve got a man living under your roof?” Cade had teased. He’d enjoyed the chicken and dumplings she’d prepared, and chewed heartily while grinning at her across the table. His grin had only widened when she shot him a decidedly outraged look.
“You don’t think the good citizens of Elk Lodge are already talking, after what those two ninnies saw at the store?”
He’d leaned forward, staring at her intently. “What did they see, Laura?”
She’d dropped her gaze. “A decent man doesn’t do the things you did in that store, Cade.” She’d clearly been fumbling for her words. “Or give gifts to a woman whom he’s not courting or married to.”
There had been so much he’d wanted to say to her in response, but he’d kept his mouth shut to the things that were really on his mind. Chuckling to conceal his thoughts, he’d said, “No one’s ever accused me of being a decent man.” To prove his point, he’d winked at her. “And I think both those women turned a shade of green in that store.”
The look of longing in her eyes, the stirrings of desire he read there, had been nearly his undoing. He’d almost leapt from his chair to pull her into his arms, and kiss her the way he’d thought about doing every hour of each day. Never mind that Jonah had been sitting between them. Laura was, rightly so, mistrustful of folks, but what he’d read in her eyes that evening had sent his heart to racing.
You’re the one she should mistrust the most.
It had been that exact thought that had kept him from carrying out what he’d ached to do. As much as he wanted to make his intentions known - that he wanted to court her, provide for her, and . . . dammit… love her - once she found out the truth about him, she’d hate him, just like Jack had said.
How much longer could he keep his secret from her?
“Well, if the rumors are already spreading, which they no doubt are, I don’t see a reason why you can’t move back into the spare room. You’d have a roof over your head and a real bed to sleep in,” she’d continued to press the issue.
“I rather like sleeping in the barn,” he’d said to decline her offer again. He couldn’t be near her like that, knowing she slept in the next room, and not go to her. Every day, not touching her became more difficult than the last. Leaving the house each evening to sleep in the cold barn kept him to his resolve to stay away from Laura.
Even if she was ready for a courtship with him, he owed her the truth first. In order to tell her the truth, he risked having her run him off the property, and then he couldn’t protect her.
Cade strapped his belt around his waist, and headed for the house. His thoughts still bounced between his nightmarish dream and the feelings for Laura that were getting stronger each day, ready to boil over. He had to do something soon, find something that he could use to incriminate Jack for some wrongdoing.
It wasn’t even in question that Jack operated above the law, but his wealth bought him a lot of power in town. He’d successfully had Cade’s wife killed, then set him up for killing the man who murdered her, and finally paid off a judge to send him to jail. Jack apparently thought he owed him a favor for saving him from the noose. No doubt the bastard was responsible for the animosity the townsfolk were showing toward Laura, because she wasn’t kowtowing to him, either.
Cade sprung up the porch steps and knocked on the front door. Laura’s voice immediately called to tell him to come in. As usual, she stood at the kitchen stove, preparing breakfast. Cade headed toward the mouth-watering smells of fried meat and eggs. He stopped in his tracks before he fully entered the kitchen.
Laura turned to face him, and their eyes met. She quickly dropped her gaze, and reached for a plate. Without looking at him, she set it on the table, and poured a cup of coffee.
Cade stepped forward. He swallowed, his mind wandering back to the day he’d walked into the kitchen and caught Laura without her shawl for the first time. Since then, she hadn’t voluntarily gone without it. This morning, however, he stared at her dark hair that tumbled loosely down her back, unobstructed by a bonnet or a shawl. Half of the long strands fell over her right shoulder, partially concealing her scars.
Wordlessly, Cade took a seat at the table. He was about to open his mouth, when Jonah rushed into the kitchen.
“Good morning,” he called loudly, a wide smile on his face.
“Mornin’,” Cade said, reaching for his coffee. He took a sip of the hot brew, his eyes darting from his son to the woman filling another plate with food. Jonah hadn’t even acknowledged the fact that Laura wasn’t covered up.
“Miss Laura said we could go fishing today if it was all right with you, Cade,” Jonah blurted excitedly. “Can we?”
Cade’s eyes followed Laura to the table. She sat, and offered an apologetic smile.
“We were reading Huck Finn last night, and Jonah told me he’s never gone fishing.”
Cade’s lips widened in a grin. “Have you?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ve been a few times.” She stabbed her fork into her food, before looking up at him again. “I just thought you might like to take Jonah fishing, since he’s never been.”
Cade looked from her to his son. His jaw muscles tightened. He had no recollections of his own father ever taking him fishing.
“Well, I suppose we could go fishing, but you have to go with us.” His gaze rested on Laura again. “For good luck,” he added. “Besides, I don’t know where the good fishing holes are around here.”
The words had barely left his mouth, when his conversation with Jack entered his mind. He’d been meaning to take a look at Laura�
�s main water source on the property, and this might just be a good opportunity to do so.
“There’s a stream that comes out of the hills to the east that’s on the property,” Laura said. “Noah took me there once. We caught quite a few fish that day.”
“When can we go?” Jonah’s face lit up. He ate faster than normal.
“I guess as soon as breakfast is over, and you’ve done your chores,” Cade said.
Jonah nodded. He finished the food on his plate, and headed out the door to feed the chickens.
“You look really nice,” Cade said the minute Jonah slammed the front door behind him. His hand seemed to move across the table of its own will to cover hers. He gave it a gentle squeeze, cursing silently when jolts from the simple touch raced through him.
Laura dropped her gaze. She tried to move away, but Cade’s fingers curled more firmly around her hand.
“What made you decide to abandon the shawl today?”
She raised her head. A soft chuckle escaped her lips. “Jonah’s the one who asked me about it last night. He said you told him that it didn’t matter if people looked different, and he said he didn’t care. . . that he--”
She yanked her hand away, and stood. Cade jumped to his feet. Laura wheeled around and faced him before he had a chance to touch her. Her lips quivered, and she sucked in a deep breath. She smiled.
“He said he loved me, no matter that I had scars.”
Pride for his boy heated Cade’s insides, as did the words the child could so freely say. Words he wanted to utter himself, but couldn’t. He mentally shook his head. Not yet, but he planned to, soon.
“I told you he cares for you, not how you look,” he managed to say.
Laura nodded. “You were right. I’m done hiding under a shawl or a hat. Thank you, Cade. You and Jonah coming here is the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”
Cade’s jaw clenched. He nodded. Only time would tell if she was right.
In His Touch: Blemished Brides Book 2 Page 10
