Sarah remembered the kittens and squealed. “Kitties!” She, Lizzie and Mary tore off to see the kittens. Once they’d again spied the small, helpless and furry little critters, everything and everyone else was ignored.
Sam wondered how long he’d have to keep the kids busy. It had been a long time since he’d waited for a woman to give birth. He hadn’t known Catherine was pregnant when he’d decided to stop by and see Duncan. He and Duncan hadn’t spoken since just after Duncan had married. Sam should have figured his friend would have a passel of children.
He’d been married himself at that time. Jane and the girls were at home in Waco. But he was a Ranger. A warrant was out for bank robber Frank Borden. His job was to bring him in. It was part and parcel of being a Ranger. It was during his chase after Borden that he’d visited with Duncan, resting and meeting Catherine, before having to leave again. He’d finally caught Borden in the Arizona Territory, taken him back to Texas and jailed him in Waco to await trial.
That was the beginning of his nightmare. A nightmare he lived every day.
If he hadn’t caught Borden, if he hadn’t taken him back to Waco, maybe his family would still be alive. Borden wouldn’t have escaped and killed them all in an attempted kidnapping and an extortion gone bad. Maybe. Sam closed his eyes only to see bright orange flame seared in his memory. He pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. That was ten years ago. The images of Jane and the girls were fading from his mind and he knew that soon he wouldn’t be able to see their sweet faces. Wouldn’t hear their voices. Time did that. They said that time healed all wounds, what it really did was make you forget, so the wounds didn’t hurt so bad. They never healed. Not completely.
Sam liked Creede. The little community was growing by leaps and bounds since silver was discovered. People coming to make their fortunes in the mines or to at least make a living. He was looking for a place to settle down, tired of moving around. Tired of going from one cow town to another looking for Harry Borden, Franks younger brother. It was time to take a stand and make a home again. And there was no place better than Creede. If he needed someone watching his back, there was no one he’d rather have than Duncan McKenzie.
And Cassie was spectacular. The small woman had the silkiest blond hair he’d ever seen. Sarah was a miniature of her mother. Wide cornflower blue eyes, curly blond hair and the cutest little nose. He was overwhelmed with longing for his own daughters They’d been four and six when Frank Borden had brutally murdered them, setting Sam’s house on fire with Jane and the girls tied up inside. Doc Stone had assured Sam they were dead from the smoke long before the flames had licked at their bodies. It was the only thing that gave Sam any comfort. Knowing they hadn’t died in pain.
He mentally shook himself and called the boys over. “Ian, you and RJ watch the girls while I go check on your mother. Be back shortly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sam walked into the house in time to hear a baby’s cry. He took the stairs two at a time, following the sound. When he got to the bedroom he knocked before going in. He didn’t want to embarrass anyone, mostly himself, by catching Catherine in a state of nudity.
“What variety of McKenzie do we have?” he asked from the doorway.
Duncan walked to the door, holding the new babe in his arms. The baby looked so tiny being held by such a big man. “Sam, meet Connor Samuel McKenzie.” He opened the swaddling so Sam could see the baby. Connor had lots of black hair like his daddy and the gray eyes of his mother. He was going to give Ian and RJ a run for their money where girls were concerned.
Sam looked up at Duncan. “He’s beautiful. I’ll wait until later to congratulate Catherine. You three need some time alone.”
“Thanks for watching the youngun’s.”
Sam turned just as little Connor started to cry and Duncan handed him to Catherine who immediately put him to her breast and covered them both with a dry cloth, hiding him from view. The tender act brought back all the memories of his own children at their mother’s breast. And it hurt. The memories, though happy ones, hurt like hell. Time to go.
“Catherine. Congratulations on your new son” Sam called from the door. He said it with all the enthusiasm he could muster but was afraid it fell flat.
“Oh, Sam.” He paused at the threshold, not entering the room. “Thank you. I know this can’t be easy for you. You must miss Jane and the girls terribly but I’m so glad you’re here to share this with us. I know in the long run it’s good for you. Duncan and I want you and Cassie to be Connor’s godparents, if you’ll agree.”
“Of course. I’d be honored,” replied Sam. His affection for Duncan and his beautiful wife Catherine was genuine, as was his honor at being asked.
“As would I.” said Cassie coming back into the room carrying a tray for Catherine. It had milk, dry toast and what looked like beef broth. All the same things the doctor had said to feed Jane after the birth of each of their daughters.
“I’d better go tell the kids they have a new brother and playmate. After seeing the kittens, I’d guess they’ll be thrilled with this little one. Or,” he laughed “disappointed there is only one of him instead of eight like the cat.”
“I know Ian will be thrilled. He’s wanted a little brother since Lizzie was born,” said Duncan as he sat on the side of the bed. He brushed his hand through the baby’s fine hair and Sam saw his eyes soften as he gazed at his new son.
“I’ll go with you. We’re not going to let them stay long, Catherine. You need your rest.” said Cassie. She rolled the sleeves of her dress back down and buttoned them closed now that her work here was done. “I have to fix dinner and get those kids in bed. It’s going to be hard enough getting them to sleep after playing with the kittens much less meeting this little guy.”
Catherine smiled and gazed down at her newborn son. “Don’t let them give you any sass,” she said without looking up. “Tell them I said there’ll be extra chores if they don’t mind you.”
“I’ll be fine I have had a little experience at this, you know,” said Cassie.
Cassie and Sam walked down the stairs together.
“Have you thought about my offer, Sam?”
“I have,” he said as they entered the warm, cozy kitchen. “If it’s still open, I’d like to take you up on it. I’ll ramrod your spread for a while. I’ll guarantee to be there at least six months. Then we’ll play it by ear and see where it takes us. Agreed?”
She held out her hand. “Agreed.”
Sam’s hand engulfed Cassie’s small one. It was soft, smooth, warm and it felt ever so good in his.
He couldn’t remember when he’d last held a woman’s hand so chastely. The way he held the women he paid for sex sure as hell wasn’t chaste but then they weren’t ladies. Not like Cassie.
She was like springtime, fresh and new. Her scent was lilacs, those harbingers of spring. Her eyes cornflower blue just like Sarah’s. Everything about her reminded him of fresh starts.
It was time to get to know the lady he was going to work for. Time to find out if it was his imagination or if they really did have an attraction to each other.
CHAPTER 2
Cassie chastised herself for offering the job to Sam so quickly but she needed someone and needed them now. He was Duncan’s friend and that in itself was a high recommendation. Duncan didn’t have a lot of friends, so if you were one, then you were a special person.
She’d had a chance to talk to Duncan about Sam between Catherine’s contractions. He was a widower, his family murdered ten years before and Sam blamed himself. Duncan assured her Sam was in no way responsible for the deaths. Sam had been a Texas Ranger. One of his prisoners escaped, took Sam’s family hostage then murdered them when he couldn’t use them as leverage. Sam recaptured the man but not in time to save his family.
Duncan assured her Sam was a good man, none better and he’d be a good foreman. That was all she needed to know. She’d made the right decision. Running the ranch on her own now for more than
two years was hard, but she’d had a lot of help from her old foreman Joe Herrera. Joe was with her and Michael when they took over the Rocking C after her brother John died. But he was starting his own spread now and she needed to replace him immediately. She knew she was lucky to have a friend of Duncan’s available for the position.
When she and Sam got to the kitchen she asked him, “Do you want some pie before you go get the kids? You’ll need your strength and it won’t hurt Cat and Duncan to have some time alone with the baby before the riff-raff shows up.”
“Sure, that’d be nice.”
“Sit down.” She got them both a slice of the apple pie and sat across the table from him. She ran her hands over the table Duncan had made from knotty pine. It was simple, but she smiled remembering it was the second piece of furniture they’d had in the house. The first had been their bed.
“What makes you smile?”
“Just thinking about this table. It’s the first piece of furniture Duncan ever made.”
“But the second he brought in the house.” Sam chuckled. “He told me the story of moving the bed.”
She laughed. “It was comical watching them trying to move that huge bed in the wagons and then get it in here and up those stairs. I swear, I thought Duncan was going to tear the house down and start over if he couldn’t get that bed in there.”
Sam nodded. “So. Cassie. When would you like me to start, that is if you haven’t changed your mind.”
“I haven’t. I thought you could come home with us tomorrow after dinner. It’s only about an hour by buggy. Half that by horse. McKenzie land abuts mine not far from here. I was lucky that James gave Cat and Duncan this property and not some on the south ranch. The trip would have taken far too long for me come visit as often if he had.”
“What are the living arrangements at your ranch. I assume I’ll be in the bunkhouse.”
“Actually, I’m going to have to put you in the guest bedroom in the main house for the time being. I had to move my head wrangler into the foreman’s quarters while he recovers from a broken leg. It makes it easier for me and the doctor not to have to deal with all the mess in the bunkhouse. The boys work hard and I don’t begrudge them keeping their bunks anyway that is comfortable to them. If that means they are a bit of a pig sty then so be it.”
“Aren’t you worried about gossip if I stay in the house?”
“I stopped worrying about what people thought of me when I married Michael. My husband was Irish and not accepted around here because of his ancestry. The fact that he was the finest man I’ve ever known, didn’t matter to those small minds. I don’t care what they think. I have my kids and my ranch to think about, in that order and don’t give a damn about anything else. Besides I have the best chaperones in the world. My two children and Bridget, my housekeeper. She was Michael’s nanny and is still very protective of me.”
Sam was smiling and she realized that she’d been cussing and perhaps, just a tad too emphatic with her criticism of the town gossips.
“Sorry. I get a little worked up when I think about what they put us through.”
“Don’t worry. I understand.”
“So you’re not worried about gossip?” She let out a deep sigh. “Good. We won’t be attending church tomorrow, not with Cat just having birthed Connor, so as I said we’ll leave after Cat’s parents arrive if that meets with your approval. Duncan sent word to the JC ranch so they will be here tomorrow. Alice will be doing everything for Cat that she needs. I won’t need to stay to help out.”
“Tomorrow is fine but I thought Cat’s mother died.”
“She did. Alice was their housekeeper and she pretty much raised Cat. James finally convinced her to marry him a few years back.
“Ah, I see. That makes sense now.”
“Why don’t you go tell the children about their new brother and I’ll get supper on. We’re having fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh biscuits and green beans Cat canned last year. Hope you’re hungry.”
“Yes, ma’am I am, but I’ll wager the kids are starved. Don’t worry I’ll get them washed up before they go see Conner.”
“Thanks. I better get started.”
Cassie went to the ice box and pulled out the steak. The pantry had potatoes and the makings for biscuits. She’d floured the steaks, peeled potatoes and had the biscuit dough prepared before Sam and the kids returned from the barn and washing up.
He was a good wrangler of kids. They all marched through the kitchen, quietly, up to the bedroom to see Conner. Even Sarah, had been quiet. She didn’t know what he’d said to them but it worked. They were all respectful and watched the baby with wide eyes. She understood that wonderment. She had it every time she saw a new babe.
After dinner Cassie put the children to bed. Each of them decided they need to go say goodnight to new baby Conner. She checked first with Catherine and Duncan, afraid Cat might be too tired, but she loved to show the baby to the children. Cat knew they were as excited about the new addition to the family as she and Duncan were.
Once the kids were settled, Cassie went to the kitchen to do the supper dishes and found Sam just finishing them up.
“Well,” said Cassie. “You’re good with the kids and you do dishes, too. I may have to keep you around.” She filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove to boil, then took a seat at the table and waited for Sam to join her.
Sam laughed put his hand over his heart. “I’m wounded to the soul. Wanted only for my domestic abilities.”
“Oh I’m sure your many manly skills will come in handy too.” She mentally shook her head and felt heat rise to her cheeks. What was she thinking? Manly wasn’t the half of it. Sam was the most handsome man she’d laid eyes on since Michael. Cassie paused. That wasn’t true. She hadn’t seen anyone like Sam in as long as she could remember and she would most definitely remember.
She hadn’t noticed men much since Michael’s death but she was certainly noticing now. Sam’s emerald eyes seemed to look through her into her soul. His dimpled smile drew her like a magnet and it scared her. Thirty five years old with two kids and a horse ranch to run, didn’t leave time for love or anything like it.
Still…it would be nice to have someone to talk to, to share with, to…. Stop it, Cassie, she admonished herself.
“You’re awfully quiet. A penny for your thoughts.”
Michael said that same phrase to her the first time they met. Suddenly she was a young woman again. At a party, drinking her first champagne and dancing with Michael, having him hold her like he would never let her go. And he didn’t for the short life they had together. He always held her, had her back and never let her fall, even if they hadn’t been intimate as often as she would have liked.
“To be honest, I was thinking about my husband. I miss him. Every day. You must feel the same way about your wife and children.”
“I do.”
“Does it get any easier, Sam? Does it ever quit hurting?”
“It does get easier. Every day it becomes a little more bearable.”
“How many children did you have?”
“Two. Girls. Four and six.”
“I can’t imagine how you must feel. I don’t know what I’d do if either of my kids died, much less both of them. I don’t think I could survive.”
“You’d find the bastard that did it and then watch him hang.” The vehemence in his voice frightened her a little and yet in her gut she understood. Nothing and no one would have stood in the way of her vengeance had it happened to her. “And still it’s not enough. But you go on. Or you go insane. I chose to go on.”
“I’m glad.”
“Tell me about your ranch. How many head of cattle do you have?”
“None. I thought Duncan told you, I raise horses. I don’t raise Arabians like Duncan, rather thoroughbred horses, racing horses for back in Kentucky. And we capture and green break mustangs for the army. Right now the mustangs are our bread and butter. But we’ve got our first three y
ear old racers shipping out in the next ten days.”
“Horses. Duncan never said and I didn’t ask. I just assumed.”
“No worries. My operation is a little bigger than Duncan’s because of the mustangs. I have ten wranglers that herd the mustangs, two cowboys who do nothing but break the new horses. Michael used to do that for fun.” Her breathing grew shallow and she knew if she allowed it she would cry. She would not allow it. Not now in front of Sam. Maybe later when she was alone, she would allow the grief to wash over her and let the tears fall. For now, there was a ranch to run and kids to raise.
“Duncan’s operation not withstanding, isn’t it unusual to raise horses in this country?”
“Yes, but Michael was sure they’d be great racers, with bigger lungs and deeper chests. He found a buyer, partner really, who’s going to race them for us. Let’s hope they run like the wind. Word of mouth will be our greatest asset.”
The tea kettle began to whistle. “Would you like a cup of tea? I find it helps me sleep. It’s chamomile.”
“Sure, why not,” he said as he pulled out a chair for her.
“So tell me about Sam Colter. Who is he?” She put some of the chamomile tea in the bottom of the cups and poured hot water over it then covered the cups with cheesecloth to steep.
“You know most everything.”
She smiled. “Tell me what I don’t know. You said you were passing through. Passing through to where?”
“I was on my way to Denver. Been searching for a man.”
Cassie cocked her head. “Are you a bounty hunter now?
“No. This is personal.” He debated in silence. He ran his fingers through his hair and worried his lower lip. He looked around the room before he continued. “You might as well know. It may alter how you feel about hiring me. I’m chasing a man named Harry Borden.”
“Wasn’t Frank Borden the man who killed your wife and kids?”
“Yes. Harry is his younger brother.”
“Why are you looking for him?”
“Actually, he was looking, is probably still looking for me. He blames me for the death of his brother. Rightly so. I made sure that bastard,” he slammed his fist on the table, “Frank, swung from a rope.”
Tame a Wild Wind Page 2
