Tame a Wild Wind

by Cynthia Woolf

  Cassie didn’t want another marriage like she had with Michael. It was more of a partnership than a marriage toward the end. There was no passion, hadn’t been for a long time. She’d been amazed to have gotten pregnant with Sarah because they only made love sporadically for years.

  It wouldn’t be that way with Sam. He was the most passionate man she’d ever known. Admittedly she only had Michael to go by but it was one hundred eighty degrees different with Sam than with Michael.

  The only thing Michael was passionate about was his horses. The thoroughbreds. They were his joy, his passion, his life. Everything else took a backseat to the horses. He’d worked with them all day, every day until that last day when he decided to break a mustang for fun.

  Cassie hated that he’d died. Hated that he’d left her alone but she didn’t fear it. She’d been alone for a long time. Michael only shared her bed for sleeping.

  She went to her room. After the events of the morning she wanted some time alone. She needed to think things through, to decide what she wanted and what she was willing to give to get that.

  Someone knocked at her door.

  “Can I come in?” Sam asked from the other side of the door.

  “It’s open,” she answered.

  He crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed. “Are you really all right? You still look a little green around the gills.”

  She didn’t look at him. “I’m fine. It’s over now, really over. I feel free for the first time in weeks.”

  “I understand. I just wanted to let you know that I’m taking Harry and Tom to the sheriff’s office in Creede. They’ll be held there until trial.”

  “Good riddance to both of them. I’m so disappointed in Tom. I thought I could trust him. I did trust him.”

  “I know. I’m sorry and can’t help but feel it’s somewhat my fault. If you hadn’t hired me, you might have promoted Tom and he wouldn’t have turned on you.”

  She shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t have. If I’d been going to do that I would have in the three weeks I was without a foreman. Tom wasn’t ready or capable of doing the job I needed doing. I wasn’t going to promote him regardless of whether I hired you or not. According to Borden, Tom thought he was in love with me.”

  “That I understand. Love makes people do funny things.”

  “Yes, I suppose it does.”

  Sam got up gave her a kiss and left to take the riff raff to jail in Creede. It was after noon now. She figured he’d probably have to stay in Creede for the night after getting them processed with the sheriff.

  She was alone again. And she hated it.

  *****

  Sam wasn’t sure what was going on. Cassie hadn’t looked at him when he’d told her he was taking Borden and Tom to the sheriffs office in Creede. He supposed it was aftermath from being kidnapped twice in the space of that many weeks. He didn’t know what, but something wasn’t right.

  It took him four hours to get them to town and then get back to the ranch.

  Bridget was waiting on the porch for him when he got back. “So Sam Colter, are you going to make an honest woman of my girl?” She put her hands on her hips and glowered at him. “You two think I don’t know what goes on under my nose? You’ve been sleeping with her for weeks and now she’s pregnant. What are you going to do about it?”

  “Pregnant?! What do you mean pregnant?”

  Bridget rolled her eyes. “You know for a smart man you’re pretty dumb. I mean going to have a baby and based on my calculations, in seven and a half or eight months from now.”

  “How do you know? Did she tell you?”

  “I know for two reasons. I do the laundry and she hasn’t had her menses for five weeks now. Second, she got sick this morning and threw up. I expect that’s when she realized it too. She’ll be going to talk to Catherine now. Maybe you better sit down. You don’t look so good.”

  Sam did sit. Right on the stairs, in front of Bridget. He shook his head. “She didn’t tell me, didn’t say a word to me. No wonder she wouldn’t look at me before I left. She knew. Knew there was no way I would let her keep saying no to me.” He stood up. “We’re getting married if I have to kidnap the preacher and take him to Duncan’s to do it. She can’t hide from me.”

  He left the house, fuming. It was a good thing the ride to Duncan’s was long. He’d need the time to cool off. Pregnant! He was going to be a father again. He saw the baby in his mind. Dark hair like him and blue eyes like his mother. A boy would be nice, but girls are wonderful too. He didn’t really care which it was as long as it was healthy.

  *****

  When he reached Duncan and Catherine’s place, Sam dismounted and tied his horse to the hitching rail. He’d calmed down during the ride and wouldn’t yell at Cassie now. There was a reasonable explanation as to why she didn’t tell him. Her strange mood earlier now made sense. She’d just realized it herself. She was in shock that’s all. Shock from the ordeal of the morning and then discovering she was pregnant. That’s a lot to take in at once.

  Sam knocked on the door.

  “I wondered when we’d be seeing you. Come in,” said Duncan opening the door wide. “We’re in the parlor and only found out the news ourselves. Had to wait for the kids to all go to bed.”

  “Thanks,” said Sam stepping into the house. “How’s her mood?”

  “Testy. I’m glad I’m not in you’re boots.”

  Sam nodded his head. Secretly he wished he was in somebody else’s boots too.

  They got to the parlor and went in closing the door behind them.

  Cassie looked up as Sam and Duncan entered the room. “Sam, what are you doing here? I though you would stay in Creede for the night.”

  “Well, I didn’t. I’m here. Bridget told me.”

  “Bridget? What did she tell you? How could she know? I didn’t even realize it until I threw up this morning.”

  “Apparently, that’s when she knew it, too.

  “Figures. If anyone would know before me it would be her. After all, she does the laundry.”

  Duncan went to Catherine. “I think that’s our cue to leave them to it. Let’s go.”

  She looked over at Cassie. “Call me if you need anything.”

  After the parlor door closed behind them, Sam said, “Why?”

  “Because you and I had sex.”

  “Very funny. Why didn’t you tell me this morning when you found out. I wouldn’t have taken the prisoners to Creede.”

  “That’s why. I knew you needed to finish with Borden. You needed to see that he was incarcerated. Just as you’ll need to go to the trial and see him hanged. It’s important to you. For your peace of mind. To know that you finally got justice for Jane and the girls.”

  Sam ran his hands through his hair. “You are important to me. This baby is important to me. Those are the things that count. The other stuff can be handled by other men.”

  “I still don’t want to get married.”

  “So you’ll let me look like a heel, rather than marry me?”

  “You aren’t a heel. I know that and so does everyone else who matters. I don’t want to marry just for the sake of a baby. I’m raising two children alone right now, three won’t be much different.”

  “Cassie, why don’t you want to marry me? What’s the real reason?”

  She looked away, afraid he’d see the truth in her eyes, afraid he see the love and the misery she would have without him. “I don’t want a marriage like I had. I need more. Michael and I had a good marriage and I know he loved me in his own way and I missed him terribly when he was gone, but I realize now that something was missing and I need that something. I need more than just a partnership.”

  “More what? I don’t know what I can give you. I don’t have a lot of worldly possessions. I have some money saved and….”

  “Stop, Sam. Just stop.”

  “Not until you agree to marry me. I’ll never stop. I love you and I’ll never stop until….”

  “Wh
at did you say?”

  “That I’m not going to stop….”

  “No before that.”

  Sam smiled. “I love you. I thought you knew. I love you with all my heart.”

  Cassie walked over to where he was standing and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you too, Sam. I couldn’t marry you if it was just one sided. Because I love you so much it would kill me to be with you and not have you love me too.”

  Sam enveloped her in his arms. “I’ve loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you. Couldn’t you tell?”

  Tears ran down her cheeks. She didn’t care. She had to get it all out. “I’m sort of naïve when it comes to matters of the heart. I thought Michael loved me. What he loved was the horses and the land I brought to the marriage. He never loved me. And now I know, because I love you so much, that I never loved him either. I think I was looking for a protector after John died. I didn’t know anything about running a ranch. I didn’t know how to care for the animals or muck stalls. I ran the house. I could cook and clean. But that was all.”

  Sam wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “Your husband was a fool. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and the most beautiful. You’re raising two wonderful children, you own a prosperous ranch, you escaped from your kidnapper and you know more about horses than anyone I’ve ever met. You’ve done all this on your own. Please Cassie. Marry me. I love you more than life itself.”

  “Yes. Oh yes.” She turned her tear stained face up to his, wrapped her arms around his neck and caught his lips with hers. The kiss seared her. Scorched her all the way to her toes. She couldn’t get enough of him.

  “Mama. Why you biting Sam?” Sarah’s precious little voice came from the now open door.

  “Hi Sweetie, what are you doing up?”

  “I’s thirsty. Why you biting Sam?”

  “I wasn’t biting him, I was kissing him.”

  “Sure looked liked you bite him.”

  “No Sweet. Your mama was kissing me and I like it very much when she kisses me.”

  “Sarah,” Cassie went to her daughter and knelt in front of her. “Would you like for Sam to be your daddy and live with us forever?”

  She turned her sweet little face back and forth looking at Sam and Cassie. “Can I call him papa? That’s was Lizzie calls her daddy.”

  Sam gathered her up in his arms. “Sweet, you can call me anything you want. I think papa sounds really good.”

  Cassie saw the tears gather in Sam’s eyes as he held their daughter. It was the most precious thing she’d ever seen.

  “Mama. Sam. Have you seen Sarah?”

  Sarah peeped over Sam’s shoulder. “Hi RJ. Guess what?”

  Sam turned with her to face RJ.

  “Why’d you get up?” asked RJ coming into the room.

  “I’s thirsty.” She scrambled out of Sam’s arms and ran to RJ. “Guess what? Sam’s my papa.”

  “Sam’s not your papa.”

  Cassie spoke up. “He’s going to be. Sam and I are getting married. What do you think about that, Son?”

  RJ thought about it for a minute.

  “Well?” asked Sam. “Will you give your mama to me?”

  “I guess that’s okay. Sarah’s happy with it so I guess it’s okay.”

  Sam and Cassie held each other by the waists and put their other arms out to RJ. He ran to them and they gathered him into the circle of their arms.

  Sarah wasn’t about to be left out. “Me, too” she cried, tugging on Sam’s pant leg.

  He bent down and picked up his new daughter and they all hugged each other. One big happy family.

  EPILOGUE

  Sam paced back and forth in the office. Duncan sat with his booted feet propped up on the desk. “You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet and Cassie won’t be happy with you.”

  “What the hell is taking so long? She should have had the baby by now.”

  “Some babies take longer than others. She’s fine. I….”

  A cry sounded from upstairs.

  Sam lit out from the office, took the stairs two at a time and ran down the hall to their bedroom. He flung open the door.

  Cassie sat up in bed holding their new baby. Sam went to her and kissed her on the forehead.

  “What variety did we get?” he asked.

  “It’s a boy,” said Cassie unwrapping him so his daddy could get a look.

  Sam plucked the babe out of Cassie’s arms and into his own. He held him tight with one arm. He had blonde hair like Cassie and Sam’s emerald eyes.

  Sarah came running in, RJ close behind her.

  “I tried to keep her out, but you know how squirmy she is,” said RJ.

  “It’s all right, Son,” said Sam. “You both come here and meet your new brother Duncan Samuel Colter.”

  “He’s so little,” said Sarah. “And wrinkly”

  “Babies are always wrinkly, remember what Connor looked like? He’ll grow into his skin and be all chubby and cute in no time.” This from RJ who sounded like an authority on babies.

  Sam and Cassie laughed. Sam went over to the bed and put little Duncan back into his mama’s arms.

  “Duncan, huh? I’m honored.” said Duncan McKenzie from the doorway. He came in and went to Cassie. “You did good.” He kissed her on the forehead.

  Little Duncan started to fuss. “Okay, everybody out except Sam.” said Catherine. “The baby needs to be fed. Come on, out. You can come back later and see your little brother.” Catherine shooed everyone out of the room.

  Cassie opened her nightgown and took out one breast. Little Duncan latched on to the nipple and began to suckle. Sam sat next to Cassie on the bed with his arm around her shoulders and watched the baby nurse.

  “He’s a greedy little thing.”

  “No more so than his daddy.”

  Sam laughed. He had a wife who loved him and three wonderful children. Life couldn’t get any better.

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  Books written by Cynthia Woolf can be obtained either through the author’s official website:

  www.cynthiawoolf.com

  or through select, online book retailers.

  Above all others, this book is for my husband Jim, without his support I could never have written this book. I would also like to thank my critique partners, without whom this book would never have gotten off the ground. Thank you – Kally Surbeck, Michele Chambers, Jan Snyder, Karen Docter, Jennifer Zigrino.