Best she think of something else. How many pies would the stove handle? Could she make enough to move her and Orla to town? Maybe with Orla’s help she could manage it. Just the possibility that she wasn’t stuck with Brogan made her heart lighter.
Orla chattered away and she stopped and stared at Ciara as if she was waiting for an answer. She hadn’t been paying attention and that never sat well with Orla. “I think I see the town in the distance. What about you Orla?”
Orla set up straighter and peered into the distance. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be! Still, it’s smaller than St. Louis. Do you think the people will be nice? Do you think I could find a sweetheart? What about church? Is there a church? I bet they have one of those saloons I’ve heard about.”
Ciara almost chastised Orla about the saloon remark but the look of surprise on Brogan’s face was worth it.
“If you don’t close your mouth, you’ll end up with flies in it.” She didn’t even glance at him.
“What was that about saloons, Orla?” Brogan leaned forward so he could see Orla.
“I saw a woman once with the most beautiful hair and her lips were red. She had a shiny dress, something like I’ve never seen before. For a moment I thought maybe she was a princess but then I remembered there were no princesses around where we were. I asked my mother, but Mama told me to ask my father, and then he told me they worked at the saloon.” She smiled. “Brogan, I would like you to escort me to the saloon.”
Ciara had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She would not say a word to help Brogan. He deserved it after all his knee touching.
“I would highly doubt your sister would approve of us going to a saloon. Isn’t that right Ciara?” He gave her a sidelong glance.
“I told you I trust you with Orla.” She pretended to be looking around as they arrived at the town. It was smaller than she’d thought. She wondered if there was more than one boardinghouse because she only saw one. The saloon was the biggest building and the dressmakers store was the tiniest. They drove by the doctor’s office and Brogan stopped the wagon in front of the general store. She glanced in the other direction and saw what looked like a hotel. She hoped they had a restaurant.
Brogan helped Orla down from the wagon and then held his arms up to her. She hesitated and then he frowned. She didn’t have a choice and the next thing she knew he had his hands around her waist as she held onto his arms. She let go of him much sooner than he let go of her.
Orla opened her mouth probably to ask about the saloon again, but Ciara spoke first.
“Let’s go into the general store and see how much supplies would be to make the pies. Maybe the owner could sell a few in the store. Next, we should check with the hotel, and I’m sure there’s somewhere else to eat around here too.”
“You seem to have a good head for business,” Brogan told her. “Not everyone looks at the cost to see if there will be a good profit.” His eyes sparkled with appreciation and humor.
She refused to engage with him, striding ahead she opened the door herself. She waited for Orla before she started to look around. There was a big assortment of goods in the store.
She heard the bell over the door ring again, and there was Brogan. He was frowning. My, he was a big frowner. She’d have to ignore his frowns if she planned to get along with him. Was he like this with all people, or was it just her?
A tall balding man approached her. “Well, well it’s nice to see a new face or two around here. I’m John O’Rourke, the owner of this fine establishment, and you are?”
Orla stuck her hand out. “I’m Orla Doyle and this is my sister Ciara. We live with Brogan and this is our first trip into town. It is a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled at John as he shook her hand.
“Brogan!” he greeted. “Didn’t see you there. Miss. Orla Doyle here has told me she and her sister live with you. That’s an interesting development. Does the rest your family know?”
Brogan shook his head. “Nope.”
John O’Rourke shrugged. “Well it’s not their business anyway, is it? It’s good to see you it’s been a long time. Everything all right out at the ranch? I’ve heard tell someone’s been rustling horses and cattle around here. Did they hit you too?”
“My fence was pulled down, but I think Orla and Ciara must’ve scared them off when they parked their wagon just inside of the opening. All my horses are accounted for, thankfully. They have any leads who it is?”
“From what I gather they don’t have any suspects, and the animals they took aren’t anywhere to be found. Keep a close eye on your herd.” John turned to Ciara and smiled. “Now what can I do for you ladies today?”
Ciara got busy with the details of her pie making business. She asked John for a piece of paper and pencil and started writing down the numbers he quoted. She figured she could make a profit and if she saved enough well who knew.
Orla brought two ready-made capes to the counter. “I’d like these please.”
Ciara shook her head. “We can’t afford those. Orla, why don’t you put those back where you got them?”
Orla made a face at her. “You know we’ve been so cold our knees were shaking.”
“I’ll buy them for you if you want them,” Brogan offered.
“We’ll be warm enough inside the house tonight.” Her breath caught. Why had she said that? Flames of embarrassment licked at her face. She didn’t like the questions in John O’Rourke’s eyes. “We were traveling, and our parents died, so I turned us around, and then I got us lost. We’ve been staying in our wagon for weeks now, but the nights are getting cold.”
“She means it’s freezing in the wagon.” Orla nodded.
Ciara didn’t know what to say next. She didn’t want to embarrass Brogan or bring him any trouble. She got the feeling the whole town would soon know she and Orla were living with Brogan. “We’re cooking and cleaning for him in exchange for a place to stay.”
“He lets me milk the cows,” Orla said with great pride in her voice.
Brogan stepped forward. “Tell you what, John, we need to get a feel for how many pies people might take and then we’ll be back with the list.”
“Sounds like a fine idea. I’ll see you folks it a bit.”
Ciara’s face was still on fire as she exited the store. She had a feeling anywhere she stopped Orla would make it sound as though they were living with Brogan. “Brogan, could you show Orla around town while I take care of business?” They exchanged knowing glances.
“I’d be happy to. Orla would you like to see the tearoom?”
“It would be my pleasure,” Orla answered. “Right, Ciara?”
Ciara smiled and nodded. “I think it’s a fine idea. I’ll be back in a bit.” She started walking down the boardwalk and went into every establishment that might serve food. There were butterflies in her stomach in anticipation of her success.
A short time later, she had orders for ten pies, and if the people liked them, there would be orders for even more. She scanned the street and didn’t see Orla or Brogan. The tea shop would be her last stop. They weren’t there, but she did get an order for two more pies. She walked back outside, wondering where they could’ve gotten to when she saw them coming out of the saloon.
Anger filled her. Orla was her responsibility, and she had done it all wrong again. She wasn’t a good sister. She could barely take care of herself. How was she supposed to take care of Orla? It would have mortified her mother to know Orla had been in the saloon. What was Brogan thinking? She glared at him as they came closer.
“Are you all right, Orla? What were you doing in the saloon?” Ciara crossed her arms in front of her while she waited for an answer.
“Oh, you should have come with us. It’s so beautiful. They have fancy chandeliers and so many mirrors, it was almost like a fairytale. It’s a good thing Brogan followed me in there, because the man said I had to leave. No girls allowed. Why do men make up such rules? I just wanted to look, but unless I was going to
buy some whiskey, I wasn’t welcome.”
That brought Ciara up short. “You could stay if you bought whiskey?”
“Let’s go into the general store and get the supplies you need. How many pies will you be baking?” Brogan shepherded them toward the door.
“We’ll talk about this later,” she whispered. “I have orders for twelve pies. and that doesn’t include the ones that John O’Rourke might be interested in. I promised them all apple pies this time. Do you have enough money to buy the supplies now and then I can pay you back? Twelve pies is a lot.”
Brogan ushered them in and then smiled at John. “Do you have enough apples for about fifteen pies?”
“Hoo-we! That’s a lot of pies. You did yourself well. I have plenty of apples. Ciara, why don’t you come to the counter, then we’ll figure how much you’ll need of each ingredient.”
“Put it on my tab,” Brogan said.
Warmth like no other spread through her body. He really did care! Despite all the shenanigans, he cared. A thrill went through her. She smiled the whole time she was figuring out what she would need and how much.
“How are your brothers?” John asked. “Last I heard you weren’t talking, but that was a long while ago. Your family and you must have made up by now.”
Brogan said nothing, just glanced at John and then looked away. Maybe that was his answer? Ciara had not seen any brothers. She watched as John packaged everything up and piled the items into several crates. Brogan immediately grabbed a couple and went outside to put them in the wagon, and soon he came back in. He repeated this until he had all crates loaded. He didn’t look like a happy man. Shadows of sorrow had appeared in his eyes. He came back in for one last crate.
“Thank you, John. It was nice seeing you again. Ciara and Orla, are you ready to go?”
They both nodded and thanked John O’Rourke before they left. Brogan set the crate in back and then helped them up onto the wagon. Ciara tried everything to get Orla to sit in the middle, but she refused. Taking a deep breath, Ciara sat down between them.
As they drove out of town, Orla asked several questions about Brogan’s brothers, but she didn’t get any answers. She heaved a sigh and just watched the scenery.
Ciara felt bad for him. It must be hard to break from family. She was trying to think of something to say when he started brushing his knee against hers again. This time she laughed. “What am I going to do with you? You have the best fun doing the strangest things.”
“I don’t find it so strange. In fact I find it—”
“There’s no need to explain. I suppose you would do it to any woman sitting next to you.” She inwardly cringed. Why had she made such a statement? Why had she brought it up in the first place? Was she flirting? This was flirting, wasn’t it? Oh no, she wasn’t the flirting type. Why had she done that? The question stayed on her mind the rest of the way home.
Chapter Eight
Why did everyone have to ask him about his brothers? They didn’t know the story. They didn’t know he was only a half-brother to the rest. Gemma had confirmed it when she looked at the family Bible. No one had looked at it in years. His mother, or rather Mrs. Kavanagh, had always had a special place for it on the mantle and didn’t want anyone to touch it. He’d always thought because it was a family heirloom, but it was because they had added his name since his father was her husband.
Funny, he’d always felt her coolness and distance from him, always blamed her for her lack of love. But she hadn’t asked to be saddled with another child. Especially one who was born to another woman. His father had thought the Kavanagh name special. Even in death, he proved it by keeping the ranch in Teagan’s name only. He should have explained he didn’t want the ranch cut up into pieces. It had hit Brogan hard since he never could please his father. His father’s legacy, his ranch, was to stay whole. It made sense, but his father should have been the one to tell them.
And when he had found out about the deception… it had felt like another failure.
He fed the horses that were in stalls and glanced around the barn. Where was Orla? Hopefully, she wasn’t catching too much grief from Ciara for going into the saloon. A soft chuckle slipped out. She sure was headstrong.
His mirth faded as he once again took in his surroundings. He needed to make enough money to buy the Maguire ranch from his half-sister, Gemma. She wouldn’t want the money, but he needed the land deed to be in his name. He longed for something that belonged to just him. He wasn’t ready to approach his family yet.
He often spotted one of his brothers riding the fence line looking for him. At least they knew where he was. Had Quinn come back? Quinn felt things deeply, but he loved them all. Yes, he’d be back.
Might as well go into the house to get his scolding for Orla going into the saloon. He grinned, Ciara’s eyes flashed when she got mad, and he liked how she looked; so alive, so full of emotion. She made it easier to get out of bed in the mornings. He looked forward to seeing her.
When he stepped over the threshold, he inhaled deeply. The heavenly smell of apple pie filled the house. A smile lifted his lips, and his spirits rose. The two sisters were making the house into a home. But they didn’t expect to nest for too long, did they? He closed his eyes. What did he want? He wanted to be alone, yet he wanted them to stay. But he wasn’t ready to take a chance on people. Others had made him too big of a fool already.
“You two have been busy. Look at all the pies!” He meant the compliment with all his heart. But perhaps his enthusiasm would soften her chiding, too.
“There you are. Brogan, we need to talk about what happened in town,” Ciara announced, her eyes flashing.
The sounds of plodding hooves and a wagon’s creaking drew his attention to outside.
“It must wait. I hear a wagon pulling up.” Word always spread faster than a horse with a racoon on its back. “It’ll be someone from next door, I expect.” His feet felt heavy as he shuffled back outside. Sure enough, it was Teagan and Gemma. His brother was married to his sister, and that struck him as strange. Teagan and Gemma had loved each other since forever. He wished he had taken the time to get to know her better. But the half-sister thing was sprung on him.
He braced himself for all kinds of questions as they drove up. He watched Teagan hop down and then lift Gemma to the ground. Gemma ran to Brogan and wrapped her arms around him.
“I’m so glad to see you! You’ve been missed very much.”
Brogan pulled back, staring at her rounded abdomen in shock. “You’re having a baby?”
She blushed prettily and nodded. “I want her to know her uncle.”
Teagan put out his hand but hugged him instead. “He will want to know you. I think about you every day, but I didn’t want to come over unless I was invited.” He drew back and met Brogan’s gaze. “Then we got the news, and seeing as Dolly was ready to take a parasol to you, I’d thought we’d best come over first.”
“The news?” Brogan cocked his brow.
“Yes. We heard you’ve been entertaining two sisters and brought one to the saloon.” He shook his head. “Brogan, the saloon?”
Brogan grinned. “That’s right, and she had to leave since she didn’t want to drink whiskey.”
The door opened, and Ciara stood there, appearing upset. “Won’t you come inside so we can explain?” She put her hand to her neck and didn’t look up at them. Well, huh, she must have been listening through the door.
“Yes, come inside.” Brogan urged. “There is nothing sordid going on.”
Brogan told them the story as soon as everyone was seated except Ciara. She insisted on making coffee and bringing everyone a piece of pie. Finally, she was out of tasks and sat next to Brogan on the sofa.
“Oh, this is delicious!” Gemma exclaimed.
“My sister makes prize winning pies,” Orla told them proudly.
“I want you to know that I am beyond sorry for putting Brogan in this position,” Ciara began in an apologetic tone. “He doesn�
�t want us here, not really. He says he does, but it’s because he feels sorry for us. He has been so generous, and he has been a gentleman. We just moved into the house and only because we were so cold last night. We were brought up knowing right from wrong, to be ladies of high morals.” She wrung her hands on her lap and her eyes looked moist.
“Don’t,” Brogan said. “We have done nothing wrong.” He reached over and stilled her hands. “I don’t care what people say.”
She turned her head, and he knew she was crying.
Gemma sat forward in her chair. “We know nothing has been going on. Brogan is an honorable man. Brogan, you might not care but I’m sure Ciara and Orla would rather not be the topic of conversation in town. If they make their home in this area, they won’t be respected. It’s just the way it is and I’m sorry.”
Teagan cleared his throat. “Brogan—”
“I know where this is going, and you can’t tell me what to do anymore. I’m on my own and doing well.” He allowed some heat into his tone. Anger filled him. Big brother Teagan to the rescue. Nothing ever changed.
“Brogan,” Ciara whispered. “It’s best we leave. I’m not used to hiding or sneaking around. You’re right, we have done nothing wrong. But people will believe the worst. I have to leave, not for me but for the sake of Orla.” She swallowed hard as she gazed at him. “We’ll be fine. I know which way to go now, and we made it this far, didn’t we?”
Chapter Nine
“Orla, we must repack the wagon. We might as well do it now.”
Orla shook her head. “You can go, but I’m not. I don’t care what you say, I’m not going with you. I’m staying with Brogan and helping with the horses!” She stood, lifted her hem an inch, and ran from the room. The front door slammed.
Brogan: Cowboy Pride: The Kavanagh Brothers Book Three Page 4
