by Texas Rain
Duck smiled up at him and Travis wondered if all this battle over clothes wasn’t a game to the boy. He offered his hand. “Want to go have a cookie?”
Duck climbed into Travis’s arms.
“He can’t have a cookie.”
“I’m sure the bakery has one,” Travis answered. “We can’t feed him breakfast or Mrs. Bailey will get mad at us.”
“You spoil him.”
Travis laughed as he opened the private exit from their wing of the house. “And you don’t? You’re the one who taught him that his pockets were for carrying cookies. Half the time when I pick up his clothes at night, crumbs tumble out.”
Sage followed. “I’m not the one who bought him a knife. A knife, Travis, for a three-year-old.”
“It’ll be another year before he’s got the grip to open it.”
She lifted her skirts an inch as they walked through the tiny garden with its beds covered in straw. “Oh, then he’ll be four and I guess it will be fine.”
Travis didn’t understand her problem about the knife. It was better than a rifle. “We all had knives by the time we were his age, and none of us cut off our fingers.”
Sage didn’t look relieved. She pulled the fur-lined hood to her new velvet blue coat high and smiled up at the gray sky. “Do you think it will warm up enough today for me to go riding?”
He knew his sister missed riding every day, but he couldn’t let her go alone, and he didn’t think his leg was strong enough yet. He’d thought of trying it, but wasn’t sure he wouldn’t make a fool of himself. He’d wait until he got back to the ranch and then test his leg. “I tell you what, you find someone who can keep up with you on a horse, and I’ll keep Duck while you ride.”
“It’s a deal. But what about your test at nine?”
He felt safe. “I’ll take him with me if you find a riding partner on this cold morning.” Dr. or Mrs. Bailey didn’t look like they could even climb up on a horse, and the only other people Sage met were dressmakers.
The wind hit them as they reached the street, and Sage pulled deep into her coat as they hurried to the tiny bakery that opened at dawn. Travis held Duck close. He fought the wind, trying to keep up with Sage, but she was several steps in front of him when she turned the corner.
A moment later when he looked up, his sister was bundled into the arms of a man. They were both circling in the wind almost as if they were figures whirling atop a music box.
Before he could reach her, Sage laughed. “I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
The man still held her at the waist. “That’s all right, miss. You can run into me anytime.”
Travis was about to step in and end this conversation when the man removed his hat.
Travis frowned. “Saddler.”
Mike had the nerve to smile. “Sorry, sir, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”
Travis took one step closer. “If you’ll let go of her”—he frowned at Mike—“I’d like to introduce you to my little sister.”
Mike kept smiling.
An hour later Travis decided that he and Duck might as well be fence posts for all they added to the conversation. Sage and the young Ranger were identical idiots. They never stopped smiling or talking. Sage asked Mike questions she already knew the answer to. Mike complimented her on just about everything she had on including her gloves, which, Travis noticed, were just plain old gloves, nothing special.
While Travis paid and bought Duck an extra cookie, he heard Sage explain to Mike that she’d love to go riding, but her brother said she had to find someone who could keep up with her.
“I’m a fair horseman,” Mike offered. “I’d be honored to give it a try.”
They made plans while Travis choked down his comments. He had promised Sage, and Mike was not only fair, but one of the best men on horseback he’d ever seen. The boy must have been riding by the time he walked, and he’d need all his skill if he planned to keep up with Sage.
He followed the couple out. Mike took Sage’s hand in both his and asked if she’d be too cold riding in this weather.
Travis wondered what other weather there was, but didn’t say anything.
His sister said she’d be ready in an hour.
Mike finally gave her hand back and saluted. “I’ll have two horses outside ready and waiting in one hour, Miss McMurray.”
Sage suddenly looked shy, something Travis had never seen in his sister before. She took Duck’s hand and turned toward home.
Travis stopped Mike from leaving with a stare. “Aren’t you tired?”
“No,” the young Ranger answered. “Not at all. Thanks for the breakfast.”
“You’re welcome and—”
Mike raised a hand. “I know. You’ll kill me if I hurt her.”
“You got that right,” Travis answered, smiling for the first time since he’d suggested the idea of breakfast. “And I should also warn you that I’ve got two brothers who aren’t as friendly as I am. After I kill you, they’ll ride down from Whispering Mountain, dig you up, and kill you again.”
Mike laughed. “Maybe I should think about going riding with girls who don’t have any brothers.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Travis suggested.
Mike waved. “See you in an hour.”
Travis walked in the opposite direction. When he turned the corner, Sage was waiting.
“Did you threaten him?” she asked as they walked.
“Yes.” Travis saw no need to lie.
“Is he still coming to pick me up?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
She didn’t say another word. An hour later she kissed Travis on the cheek and wished him good luck with the questions he’d be answering in front of a panel of lawyers. “I’ll be back in two hours and wait for you here. When you return, we can go pick up my new dress. I can hardly wait to see what Mike thinks of it.”
“I don’t know how long the questions will take.”
“Not long, I hope.”
Travis mumbled. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” As he left with Duck, he noticed Mike riding up to the house. Somewhere he’d found a sidesaddle. Travis laughed. Sage had never ridden sidesaddle in her life. It would almost be worth being late for his testing to watch her face when she saw the saddle.
He walked across the street to the courthouse and slowly climbed to the second floor. A secretary told him that Judge Gates was finishing up with a case and would be with him as soon as possible. She pointed down the hallway. “You can wait down by the courtrooms, but make sure that boy doesn’t make any noise.”
He thanked her, then wondered why. If Duck would say something, Travis wouldn’t care if he yelled it to the roof of this fine building.
As he walked down the hall, Travis figured it might be Dottie Davis’s claim on the wine that held the judge up, but decided that would have been over at least an hour ago. To his surprise, Rainey was sitting on the bench outside the judge’s chambers when he got there.
“Mind if I sit down?” Travis wasn’t sure where he stood with Rainey. But then, why should today be any different than others? He never knew where he stood with her.
She looked up, but didn’t smile. “No. I don’t mind.” She moved halfway down the bench, giving him more room than he and Duck would need.
The boy sat between them and to Travis’s surprise patted her hand.
“Problem with the court, or just unhappy to see me?” Travis asked as he removed his and Duck’s coats.
He dug in his pocket for the top string and two other balls of yarn Duck insisted on bringing along. One of the strings was caught on a half a cookie Duck must have crammed in his pocket along with a leaf he’d picked up somewhere along the way. “I swear,” Travis mumbled as he tried to straighten the mess out. “I need a pack mule to take the kid anywhere.”
Rainey smiled as she watched but made no effort to help.
Travis unloaded his other pocket on the bench next to
Duck. “He collects everything. Not just food and string, but leaves and nails. I gave him one of the boxes Sage brought home to keep all he collects. He sleeps next to it like he’s guarding his treasures every night.”
Rainey laughed. “I know how he feels. When you don’t have anything, one box seems like a lot. And, in answer to your question, my problem is with the court, not you. The judge is talking to Dottie now. It seems the partner may have a right to the wine. If so, we may be charged. He asked me to wait out here.”
“If I get a license to practice, you may be my first client.” Travis frowned. He wanted to see her again, but not as a criminal he defended.
“I thought you were being tested to be a lawyer this morning,” Rainey said. “I may be running out of time. I may be sentenced and in jail before you finish the testing.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. There’s been a delay.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. No one passing would ever guess that they had shared several passionate kisses the night before. In truth they looked like two strangers waiting.
Finally Rainey broke the silence. “Good luck with the panel.”
“Thanks,” he answered. “Would you mind if I talked to you about something?”
She looked like she might bolt.
“I could use some advice. It’s about my sister,” he quickly added.
Rainey met his eyes for the first time. “All right. If you think I can help.”
While Duck played with his string, Travis explained everything that had happened that morning at the bakery. Rainey relaxed at his side, asking questions, offering comments. By the time he’d finished his account, she was laughing at his threats.
“She’s just eighteen,” Travis ended. “I don’t think she knows what she’s doing.”
“I’m twenty-three,” Rainey said. “And I’m not sure I know what I’m doing most of the time.”
Travis almost forgot about his sister’s problem. Rainey had just told him something personal about herself.
“What do you think I should do?” he asked.
She smiled. “I think you should back away. Trust her.”
He didn’t like her advice, but he didn’t argue. “Thanks,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” she answered. “You love your little sister very much.”
“True. When she was a kid it was like she had three fathers. It’s hard now thinking of her grown. You have any siblings?”
He waited, expecting her to change the subject, or lie, but she said simply, “No.”
The chamber door opened and Dottie Davis hurried out. There was no more time to talk. Travis heard the judge promise he’d solve their problems with the partner.
The judge’s secretary hurried down the hall and told Travis he could go into the courtroom. She took the time to frown at Duck, then hurried back to her desk.
He leaned close to Rainey for a moment and whispered, “I need to see you tonight.”
She met his gaze. Though her head shook slightly, he didn’t miss a sparkle of passion in her eyes.
Travis stood. When he collected their coats, he lightly brushed Rainey’s arm as if the need to touch her just once was too strong to resist.
Her lips made a circle and he groaned under his breath. The thought crossed his mind that if she didn’t plan to see him tonight, she might as well kill him now.
The doors to the courtroom opened and lawyers were already lining up behind a table to question him. He glanced back and saw Rainey start down the steps. She looked over her shoulder and whispered, “Good luck.”
Travis turned and headed in, feeling less prepared than if he’d been an unarmed man in a shootout. But this is what he’d told everyone he came to Austin to do, and now all he had to do was see it through.
By the time the introductions were over and the questions began, Duck had crawled up on top of Travis’s coat and was sound asleep in the pew behind Travis.
Two hours later when Duck awoke, the lawyers were still asking questions.
CHAPTER 24
RAINEY WALKED HOME WITH DOTTIE. THE WIDOW talked all the way about how the judge promised to do his best to help her, but her dead husband’s partner seemed to have the advantage. No matter how you looked at it, wine was considered liquor, and he did own the half that was a saloon.
“What did he do with the other half after your husband died?”
Dottie frowned. “It’s sitting empty. I’ve tried to sell it, but nobody wants half a place. Jeffrey, my husband’s partner, doesn’t make it any too easy, either. The few people who have looked at it didn’t like the idea of sharing the building with him after they met him. He’s meaner than a snake.”
They hurried up the steps of the Askew House. Dottie held the door against the wind. “I may have to move over there and live. The judge said if Jeffrey presses charges, and he will if I know him, I’ll have to hire a lawyer.”
Rainey hung her old navy cape on one of the hooks by the front door wondering where she’d find the money for her lawyer if it came down to a trial. If she didn’t have one, she’d probably go to jail. Maybe she should ask Pearl and Owen if she could work one more day. The extra pies would sell and she could sock back the money just in case. But she felt she was already intruding on their privacy enough by working three days.
The widow turned from putting up her coat. “It’s lunchtime. I’ve got tea and biscuits in my room.”
Rainey smiled. “Texas biscuits or English biscuits.”
Dottie winked. “English of course.”
One of the sisters stepped from the drawing room and frowned at them. When Rainey looked puzzled, the sister smiled. “I’m sorry. I’m glad to see you two in from this bitter cold, but we are expecting a young lady for her final fitting this morning, and it doesn’t look like she’s going to show up.”
“Sage McMurray?” Rainey asked.
Grace nodded.
“I saw her brother at the courthouse. It appeared he had urgent business, and if so, she may have to wait until he can escort her.” Rainey didn’t want to tell the spinster that the girl stood her up to go riding with a handsome young man. They’d never understand.
“Oh.” Grace looked relieved. “I see. That’s quite understandable. A young lady of her breeding and wealth should never go anywhere alone.”
Rainey smiled, knowing that if Grace knew what a wild bunch the McMurrays were, she would never have made such a foolish statement.
Dottie whispered that she’d bring the tea and biscuits up to Rainey’s room and then hurried up the stairs. She enjoyed the three sisters’ conversations, but found them lengthy.
Rainey did her duty and stopped in to say hello to the other two sisters. The German mother and daughter had left two days ago for their farm near Fredricksburg. The house seemed quiet and empty.
Mrs. Vivian was picking up her stationery from the writing table by the window. If there was to be no guest, she had her shopping to do. She didn’t bother to say goodbye to the boarders, but they all heard her yell for Mamie to bring the buggy around. Mrs. Vivian might only be going a few blocks, but she planned to go in style.
By the time Rainey made it up to her room, Dottie was already there with the tea. They pulled off their shoes and ate on the tiny bed, laughing at how improper Mrs. Vivian would think they were if she found them.
After several minutes the conversation turned to the mess they were in. “We were only trying to help Mamie get free, and now we may both be locked up,” the widow mumbled with a biscuit in her mouth.
“Do you really think so?”
The widow smiled a wicked smile and shook her head. “That’s why I asked to speak to the judge alone. I flirted with him outrageously and he never caught on. If trouble comes, I can promise you he’ll be on our side. The only problem is he’s an honest man, and they are always harder to deal with.”
“You’re telling me,” Rainey agreed.
They laughed and talked. Eventually the conversation turned to w
hat Rainey had heard the night before. “Snort and Whiny are still planning to kill their boss, who claims he’s coming into money soon. I talked it over with Travis, and he thinks Haskell plans to collect on the reward money for an escaped outlaw named Seth Norman who is sweet on Whiny.”
Dottie wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ll bet they make a cute couple.”
Rainey laughed. Somehow the widow always managed to make things funny. Rainey opened the window in case they could overhear more. But all they heard was Mamie singing as she threw out the wash water.
Rainey leaned back, not minding the open window, for Mamie’s voice sounded so sweet. “She always sings when Mrs. Vivian is out of the house.”
The widow nodded. “Too bad it’s cold. Our landlord likes to visit on warm days, but when it’s cold she hurries back to take her afternoon nap.” Dottie smiled her sweetest and added, “Which, by the way, you look like you might need a nap as well. Late night?”
She leaned close to Dottie and whispered what had happened last night when Travis had insisted on walking her back to the laundry room window.
The widow giggled like a girl. “He’s got it bad for you.”
“I know. I feel the same. But he’s the marrying kind, and I think that’s what he wants.”
Dottie raised an eyebrow. “Then marry him.”
“I can’t. I promised I wouldn’t tie myself down like my mother did. My father made her believe she would starve without him. Her days were miserable, but she wouldn’t leave, not even when he hit her.”
Rainey took a deep breath and told her what she’d never told another soul. “When I was six, my father’s father died. We traveled all day to his farmhouse. My parents expected an inheritance. But it seems my father’s education was all the old man planned to give his son. My father discovered he inherited nothing, not even his mother’s jewels.”
She closed her eyes as she repeated a memory she’d tried for a dozen years to forget. “My father had too much to drink. He drove far too fast on a rutted road. The carriage rocked and pitched. My mother fell against the side and was bruised badly. I remember how he yelled at her to stop whimpering. When we got home, her skirts were bloody. She’d lost a child and the doctor said she’d never have another.”
