What was she thinking?
Nope, she might still be off-kilter, but she knew she’d be a fool to fall for a man with leaving in his plans.
“What you need to do, Katie Pearl, is march over to that barn and go inside.” Her stomach rolled when she took a step and then another in that direction, only to stop after a couple.
“You can do this. You are not a coward.”
But she was. Her head started thumping, her vision blurred, and she knew she couldn’t go inside the barn.
But that wasn’t her worst fear anymore.
Most of all she feared that when it came time to wave good-bye to Treb . . . she wouldn’t be able to do it.
And that scared her more than anything.
CHAPTER EIGHT
FOR TWO WEEKS, TREB WORKED ALMOST NONSTOP ON the house. A desperation churned inside of him that he didn’t totally understand. All he knew was that he had to finish the house. Katie worked beside him hammering away and helping him hold windows in place. They got the walls up, and he’d grouped the windows in pairs—the large glass panes creating the illusion that even when they were inside, it felt like outside.
Now he was working on the roof. From his vantage point he could see Katie riding a horse and working with it like she was born to train. He paused to watch her. There was nothing crazy about Katie. She was smart and stubborn, and the more he was around her, the more he wanted to be around her. He felt for her though, every day when she strode to the barn and stared inside, standing there like a feather balancing on the wind waiting for the next gust to blow it a new direction. She would hover as he held his breath, hoping she could conquer the fear holding her. But each time she would spin around and stomp away, either to ride the horses or to head to the stream. He could see that she didn’t like to be beat and it was eating at her.
She was so determined to fix herself, and each day that she couldn’t do it frustrated her more.
He didn’t know what to do for her other than to do what she’d asked of him, which was to get her home built.
And he was almost done. That was the best thing, he told himself. He needed to get done. He was getting attached to Katie even though he tried not to. Ever since Dooley had mistaken him as Katie’s husband, he found himself wondering what it would be like to call her his own. He thought about kissing her and holding her more and more and it was driving him wild.
So there it was. The problem plain and not so simple—he was falling for Katie.
The protective feelings held him captive. She was out here, isolated and alone.
And he was going to ride off into the sunset and leave her.
He had to.
He needed to.
He was driven to. But right now, he wanted to ride horses with Katie.
Climbing down from the roof, he strode across the yard to the arena. “Do you want to go for a ride?”
Katie pulled her horse to a halt and smiled. “I would love to do that.”
He grinned, grabbed his saddle, and opened the gate. He chose the good-looking buff-colored horse he’d settled on and within minutes, they were riding across the pasture, with Katie talking excitedly about the ranch and the beautiful land that she owned.
He might regret it tomorrow, but for now, Treb let himself relax and enjoy the afternoon.
He’d think about tomorrow, tomorrow. For now, he was enjoying himself too much.
Since the day he’d gone riding with Katie over a week ago, Treb had done nothing but work. It had been a lovely afternoon they’d shared, but Katie was upset by how much she’d enjoyed his company.
Now he acted as if he couldn’t get the house built soon enough. He hardly took time to eat, much less time to ride horses with her again.
She was acutely aware that each strike of the hammer took him closer to leaving.
And her closer to watching him ride away.
Angry at herself for being a fool, she tried to keep busy. And as far away from him as possible. If she wasn’t swinging a hammer, she was riding her horses. Work steadied her nerves. Her headaches had stopped for the most part, and she’d started feeling more like herself. Though she still hadn’t brought herself to enter a building.
“Katie, would you come here please?”
Treb was standing beside the door of the house. He’d done such a good job on it. He was amazing. Her stomach flip-flopped, all shaky-like, every time she got near him. She stopped stirring the lunch soup, wiped her hands on her apron, and warily headed his way.
“I have an idea. How about we try going inside together?” He raked his hand through his long hair. Katie had been watching him sweep it out of his face for a week, and she had the hankering to reach up her hands and touch the waving, dark mass. Thinking about that, her stomach tilted oddly, and her heart squeezed again. She was thinking about things she couldn’t have.
“Katie.”
She swallowed hard and met his beautiful eyes. “You don’t need to be worrying about me, Treb Rayburn,” she snapped, disgruntled by all the emotions grabbing hold of her. “I’m going in there, and that’s for certain. That’s why I had you build the place.”
His lip lifted slightly. Her mouth went dry just looking at those lips.
“Katie, I’m not leaving here until you can sleep in the house I built for you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t need a nursemaid. I’ll go in, but I don’t need you going in with me.”
She couldn’t let herself get used to him always being by her side—because he wouldn’t be. If there was one thing she’d learned in this life, it was not to count on anyone sticking around. If the Lord didn’t call them home, then something else called them away.
“If you don’t need me, then let me see you go in there,” he said, irritation flashing in his eyes.
She hiked her chin and shot daggers at him. “I aim to do just that. Stand back.” Her palms were wet as she glanced inside the open doorway. What she wanted more than anything on earth was for Treb to take her hand and walk with her through that door. But she had to do this on her own. She had to.
Her heart squeezed tight in her chest, just like it always did when she stood in the doorway looking inside of the barn or any building.
But today she’d come to fight. She’d had it!
She rammed her booted foot across the entrance and slapped it down on the floor. It took every ounce of strength she had to hold it there when she wanted to swing around and run for the hills. Her knees started trembling, then her whole body. It made her so mad she wanted to scream. Or shoot something!
“Katie.” Treb stepped up beside her, placed his finger beneath her chin, and lifted her face so that he was staring down into her eyes. “You don’t have to do this on your own. When are you going to get that through your thick, beautiful head?”
His voice trailed off and the air just disappeared around them. Katie knew that if he hadn’t been cupping her face between his big, strong hands, she probably would’ve sunk to the ground. Looking up at him made her so weak.
He bent his head and his lips met hers.
Treb’s kiss was firm but so tender that it had Katie’s heart turning to mush. Her arms went around his neck of their own accord, and she stepped into his embrace, his strong arms tightening around her, drawing her close. The world, her worries, her fears—everything just faded away in that moment at the touch of his lips against hers.
Her heart thundered against her ribs as he moved the kiss to her temple, then whispered her name in her ear and held her close. Katie hadn’t ever felt these emotions racing through her. How did someone fall in love so quickly? And yet she knew that love was what she was feeling. And this kiss, this tenderness that she felt in his arms, undid her.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” he said, hugging her tight before pulling away and taking her hand. “I’m here and we’re going in together.”
She blinked back tears. Holding his hand, she stared at the interior of the home he’d built. It was em
pty, but spacious. No furniture yet. First she had to go inside.
“I’m ready.” Gripping his hand so tightly she thought her own would break in half, Katie stuck her foot inside and froze. She looked up at Treb. That gave her courage. She hated needing someone to help her when she knew she had to do this on her own. Despite the kiss, he wasn’t hers. She had to stand on her own feet. But even knowing that didn’t stop her from needing his support.
“Tell me about the Grand Canyon again,” she said.
He smiled and stepped inside the house, holding her hand across the threshold. She didn’t move, just kept her foot on the porch and her hand in his.
“The canyon is as wide open as anything I’ve ever seen. As far as the eye can see, there’s rock and sky mixing together over gorges so deep it seems like you’re seeing the center of the earth. Come on in, Katie. Think of wide-open spaces. The sun is shining outside. It’s streaming through the windows in here and sunbeams are dancing on your new floors. You can do this.”
She forced her other foot forward and stood in the door frame. He was right. The sun was bright and streaming across her new floors. There was nothing dark and suffocating here. And yet panic clawed at her; fingers tightened around her throat.
“Look at me, Katie.”
She did. He smiled. Oh, how she’d come to enjoy that smile. And that kiss. Her mind pulled back from the panic a little as she thought of the feel of his lips against hers and the sweet security of his arms around her. It steadied her.
“Katie, you have the freedom to go and to come as you like. I’ll even let go of your hand the minute you tell me to. There is nothing trapping you. Nothing holding you down.”
She took a small step forward. But her head started shaking of its own accord.
“Stand firm, Katie. Stand firm.”
Her heart lifted. “That’s what my pa always said. He said the Bible was full of verses that said we were to stand firm and wait or watch for the Lord’s deliverance. Or telling us to stand firm in our faith. Or stand firm and be courageous.” She pushed her shoulders back, knowing this was a time to stand firm and be courageous. Her gaze locked with Treb’s and she took a trembling step into the house. Every bone and every ounce of flesh quivered with fear, but she refused to retreat. She held her ground. Stood firm. Treb gave a small nod, and just a hint of a smile tickled the edge of his lips. His eyes encouraged her to take another step.
She felt as if she were a child learning to walk to her parents for the first time in her life. But Treb was no parent.
No, he was the man she’d fallen in love with.
CHAPTER NINE
HOLDING KATIE’S GAZE, TREB’S HEART FELT FULL TO bursting. Pride filled him as he watched her. She was a fighter. She came one hesitant step at a time into the house. He’d never seen a more beautiful, stronger woman—or man, for that matter. The courage it took for her to make these steps humbled him. After witnessing her fear the night of the storm, he knew the depth of control the tornado held over her.
He wanted to reach for her. To pull her close again and take these steps with her, but the kiss had cost him too much.
He was leaving. He was.
He’d never planned on staying. He wasn’t the kind of man to stay and give his heart away . . . Because what if he lost her?
He couldn’t bear it.
So instead, he smiled and he waited and willed her to hold his gaze and hopefully draw strength from him, too, as he prayed for her to conquer the fear.
She’d made it four steps into the room. A sunbeam danced across her and she looked so very lovely. Her eyes never wavered from his but suddenly she halted, and the saddest look he’d ever seen crept across her expression. Her eyes hardened.
And then she spun and stalked from the house.
What just happened?
Katie was sashaying across the yard toward the barn. He jogged after her.
“What’s wrong, Katie? You were doing great, darlin’.”
She stalked straight over to the coiled whip that hung around a nail on the outside of the barn. Startled, Treb yanked to a halt as she took the ominous weapon into her small, competent hands. “What are you doing, Katie?”
Chin up, she walked to the back of the barn where a tree stump for chopping firewood sat. She picked up a tin bucket and sat it on the stump, then backed up and swung the whip wide.
Treb knew to stand back. With the precision of a master, Katie snapped the whip and the tip pinged against the bucket and sent it flying. She repeated the action again and again. He stood back and watched.
Finally, breathing hard, she spun, her gaze fierce. “I thank you for coming to work for me, Treb. You have helped me in more ways than just building my house. You got me inside it. Our deal was for you to build my house in return for wages and a horse. Now that the house is done, I’ll pay your wage. You go on and saddle up your horse and get on your way toward Galveston or New Orleans—or wherever you plan to go. I don’t want to hold you up any longer.”
That speech delivered, she marched over to where a heavy rock sat against the barn and she pushed it hard. The rock moved, and there beneath it was a hole. From the hole she pulled out a tin can. Treb was speechless as he watched her pull money from the can, count it, then march over to him.
“This should cover your wages. And the horse is waiting and ready. You go now.”
He pushed the money back at her. “Whoa, hold on to your money. I’m not done yet,” he snapped, finding his voice at last.
Eyes flashing, she shoved it right back at him. “I’m the one who did the hiring and now I’m telling you the job is done. Go. I don’t need you here any longer.”
“But you do.”
“I don’t.” She spun away, grabbing the whip again. She strode back around the barn, the skirt of her yellow dress flouncing with each step.
Treb slowly trailed her, his thoughts rolling like a tumbleweed. Myrtle May eyed him sharply as he passed by her pen. He started to tell the horse not to look at him that way. That he was trying to talk sense into the stubborn woman in front of him—then he realized that would mean he was talking to a horse. He clamped his mouth shut and quickened his steps.
Katie was strapping on her gun when he rounded the barn. What had gotten into the woman?
Hadn’t she liked the kiss they’d shared? From her reaction it sure seemed like she had when she’d joined in the moment his lips touched hers.
He’d felt as though he’d died and gone to heaven.
Treb had never felt so good as he had in that moment kissing Katie. And Katie kissing him back.
“See, I don’t need you anymore, Treb. I can take care of myself. I’m not the same batty woman who hired you over a month ago. I’ve got a roof over my head—thanks to you—and now I have a ranch to run. And you—you have places to go and things to see.” Her eyes softened. “It’s what I want. It’s why I hired you, because I knew you would be leaving.”
He’d forgotten that. Completely.
Forgotten that his leaving was the main reason she’d hired him. “I thought you might have changed your mind.” His words were softer. “I hoped—”
“Nope. I don’t need you around any longer, and I don’t need any more kisses. I’m not the marrying kind—I told you that early on—and neither are you. So kissing won’t do anything but blur the line I’ve got drawn for my life.”
What she said was true. That was their arrangement. What could he do but honor it? Torn, he nodded and went for his saddle. His mind was twisting like a tornado as he went into the pen and saddled his horse.
Katie watched him but she said nothing more. She was right in saying he wasn’t the marrying kind. Even if he loved Katie—and had for a while, the stubborn woman. It would break his heart to lose her like he’d lost his family. All the more reason for him to ride out of here today.
He headed straight over to her, cupped her face with one hand, and looked deep into those amazing, cornflower-blue eyes. “You—” His voi
ce cracked. “You’re right, Katie Pearl. You’re doing good.” He dropped a gentle kiss on her lips, backed up, and swung into the saddle. “You take care of yourself.”
That said, he drank in one last look, then turned his horse and rode out of the yard for open ground, focusing his eyes on the horizon.
It was better this way, and he knew it.
Folks might have called her crazy, but she had more sense than anyone he’d ever met. And more heart too.
He made it over the rise, and it hit him that he needed to go see the preacher. He needed someone to check on her every now and again and make sure she was okay. Her being out there all alone needed to stop, and worry pressed in on him. What would happen to her? The preacher seemed like a decent sort, and it seemed—with his influence on his congregation—that he was the right person to get the town to change. Surely he would check on her some. Treb couldn’t leave until he had asked.
It was the least he could do.
It took every ounce of willpower Katie had to watch Treb ride out toward the horizon. Though her heart was breaking in half, she wanted him to move forward with his dream.
She was torn with loving him, wanting to hold him, and wanting to see him go. Wanting to see the world with him. And wanting to carry on with her ranch.
A person shouldn’t have to make choices like that. Then again, when two people were involved, there were different wants . . . and if Treb had wanted her more than he wanted to see the world, her whip and her gun wouldn’t have stopped him from staying.
She stood there for the longest time watching the spot where he’d disappeared over the horizon. The breeze ruffled through her hair and she touched her lips, thinking of his leaving kiss. It had been as soft as the breeze.
Her heart twisted and her throat clogged. She blinked back tears. “Don’t you cry, Katie Pearl, don’t you dare cry.”
CHAPTER TEN
“SHE SENT ME AWAY.” TREB PACED ACROSS PREACHER Dawson’s parlor floor, raking a hand through his hair as he clutched his hat in his other hand. “She strapped her gun back on and told me to leave.”
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