Homespun Hearts Page 19

  Luke was always amazed at his sister-in-law’s pleasant disposition. She was never angry, impatient or sullen. A sweet smile now graced her face that went clear to her eyes. It was obvious she hadn’t heard about Charity or the bull.

  “Mornin’, Rachel. I’m looking for Charity. Is she here?”

  “She sure is. Come on in while I fetch her for you.” Halfway to the hall she stopped. “Would you like a cup of coffee, Luke? It’s freshly made.”

  Luke waited in the entry, not wanting to muck up Rachel’s clean floors with his dirty boots. “No, thanks.”

  In moments, Charity, dressed and as fresh as a spring rose, came waltzing out of the kitchen as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Luke’s heart twisted. On the outside he saw what he always did: a beautiful young woman just coming into her own. Confident and sharp.

  As she smiled, his temper flared. Hell. She knew better. “Brought your horse around,” he said calmly. “I’m riding out to Three Forks to check on the cattle there. Hoped you might want to ride with me.”

  Her eyes lit eagerly before suspicion clouded them. “I really don’t want to leave Rachel alone this close to her time. She could need me at any moment.”

  Luke glanced at his sister-in-law over Charity’s head, his eyes beseeching.

  “Don’t be silly,” Rachel said. “Go with your brother. The fresh air will do you good. You’ve been cooped up here with me for days.” She placed her hand on her belly and stretched. “I have Adam here. He can run for your mother if I need anything. You go on, now.”

  Luke flashed Rachel a smile of gratitude. To Charity he said, “I’ll be waiting outside.”

  He’d had a plan but, miles from the house, he still hadn’t gotten past polite conversation. From the corner of his eye he could see his sister sitting her horse, propped straight in her saddle, pretty as a picture. Someone who didn’t know her true explosive fire, her great love of adventure, would think she was a demure young lady.

  He had to change his impression of her, accept the reality that she’d grown up. She wasn’t a child any longer. That, he realized, was the heart of the problem: she wanted to be noticed and, if it wasn’t going to come from her family, she’d get her attention elsewhere. Like the hayloft of the dark barn.

  They needed to talk. But why was it so hard to get started? He’d never had a problem talking with her before. For that matter, Charity had never held back from him, telling him the most intimate of things. Granted, those things had never included men. She was growing up and he hadn’t seen the signs.

  Hell. Who was he kidding? She was grown.

  “Saw Brandon yesterday,” he said nonchalantly.

  Charity was relaxed in her saddle, watching the billowy clouds in the sky. “Oh? How is he?”

  “Better now. He’s finally over you breaking his heart.”

  She straightened in her saddle just a hair and, reaching down, fingered her mare’s silvery mane.

  “There’s a new girl in town. The schoolmarm’s niece. Heard he’s been stepping out with her.” He hoped Charity wouldn’t go to town anytime soon. It was true about Miss Langford having a niece, but she’d make the rankest of men run for cover.

  Charity’s response was a smile. Enthusiastically she replied, “I’m so glad.”

  Luke had always known Charity was a good actress, but this performance was truly outstanding. His sister cared for Brandon, he was positive. They’d had an attraction for years. She was just too confident in the young sheriff’s love for her. Luke felt in his bones that Charity would snap to, if ever given some true competition.

  “Saw her myself,” he continued, giving a low whistle. He was intent on getting a reaction. “Too bad I didn’t see her first, before Brandon had a chance to stake his claim. She’s from Boston. Hope she won’t miss her family too much if they decide to marry.”

  Charity turned in her saddle, looking over the grass-covered meadow. “Who knows, Luke? Maybe Brandon will want to go back and see the city. Maybe he’ll even want to settle there.”

  “Don’t count on it. He’s a western man through and through. Hell, he hates cities. Whoever ends up taking him on is going to be stuck out here. The way I see it, a wife follows her husband—or should—living where he wants, leaving her family and friends, clinging to him through good and bad. Just like Amy and Rachel. And, of course, Mother.”

  That seemed to give her pause. They rode on in silence for some time. He’d just let her stew. The Heart of the Mountains without Charity? That was a sad thought. She’d said for years she was never moving away.

  She was pretty quiet for about an hour. When they stopped at a stream to let their horses drink, Luke looked her over and admitted, “So, you’re quite grown. That’s a fact. You planning to attend that finishing school Ma thinks so highly of?”

  A look of horror crossed her face, and then she studied him as if trying to figure out if he knew about her shenanigans last night.

  Luke smiled. “Just wondering.”

  “You know my plans, Luke. I’m staying right here. I can ranch as well as any of my brothers, including you,” she bragged.

  “Oh? I just hadn’t heard you say it for a while and got to wondering.” He dismounted and checked his mount’s right hind hoof for a stone. Setting it down, he leaned against the horse’s hip. “I reckon I just needed to hear it again.”

  “I’m not a kid anymore, Luke.”

  “I know, Charity.” He affectionately slapped his horse on its hindquarter and remounted. “That’s what has me worried.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Returning to the ranch, Luke saw Charity to Matt and Rachel’s house and offered to take her horse back with his. Arriving at the corrals, Luke found Francis sitting in the entry of the log barn, polishing glass chimneys from lanterns used to light the bunkhouse and yard area. He had the pear-shaped globes lined up on a sturdy table, sparkling in the sunshine. Luke dismounted as Francis came forward. The boy reached for the reins of both horses.

  “Thanks, Francis, but I’ll do it,” Luke said, shaking his head. He needed time to think. With Charity occupied for the time being, he needed to ponder on Faith.

  He looped both sets of reins around the hitching rail inside the barn’s dim interior and threw his stirrup over the saddle of his mount. He unbuckled the back cinch, letting the leather swing, and reached for the front. The bay gelding he’d picked as a replacement for Chiquita gave a deep sigh.

  Luke lifted the saddle and pulled off the pads. The aroma of warm horseflesh and sweat floated up. With ease he carried the heavy, hand-tooled saddle to the saddle rack and laid the pads upside down atop the seat so they could air out and dry; then ran a brush over the bay and turned the horse out in a freshly bedded stall. He repeated the process with Charity’s palomino mare and gave each animal a small scoop of grain, as a reward.

  Lucky had said Faith came looking for Ward. Luke would’ve thought it would be the other way around. What had Ward done or said to make her cry as if the whole world were coming to an end? He had been sure her tears were because of him.

  “Hear any more about the bull?” he asked Francis on his way out.

  “No, it’s been real quiet around here.”

  Luke looked first to the house, glancing at Faith’s window, then to the bunkhouse, weighing which situation needed his attention first.

  “Have you seen Faith?”

  Francis shook his head. “’Bout the only folks I’ve seen are your ma and pa. Flood rode to town this morning to tell the sheriff about the bull. Your ma went with him.”

  That settled it: he’d see to Faith just as soon as he had a talk with Ward. He’d waited as long as he could.

  He opened and closed his fists as he strode toward the bunkhouse. It was going to feel real good planting his fist in the middle of that man’s smug face. Injured or not, he should’ve thought before he messed with either Faith or Charity.

  Lucky was skinning an onion over a pail, and tears streamed down his weath
erworn face. He glanced over as Luke entered, then lifted the lid off a giant cast-iron kettle and tossed in the vegetable.

  Ward, sitting at the table, was playing solitaire. Seeing Luke in the doorway, he smiled.

  “Stand up, Brown.”

  Gathering the cards, Ward held them in his hands. He didn’t look quite as relaxed. “McCutcheon,” he said, standing.

  In the blink of an eye, Luke had him by the shirtfront. Ward’s startled eyes grew black with anger. He tried to shake Luke off, but his attempts were useless.

  Adrenaline shot through Luke. “You dare touch my sister?”

  “Nothing happened,” Ward answered. “She’s been giving me the eye ever since I arrived. I find it a mite convenient she was just hanging around out at the barn, too. I got the distinct impression she was waiting for me.”

  Luke slammed his fist into Ward’s stomach, and the man’s air expelled in a whoosh as he doubled over. Luke threw him to the floor.

  Ward slowly stood, his arm pushing into his hurt abdomen. “You’d hit an injured man?”

  “Injured?” Luke scoffed. “You’re nursing that leg to stay on longer than necessary. You’re as fit as any man here.” He held back, knowing his mother was going to be madder than a wet cat when she found out he’d taken the matter into his own hands. Still, he couldn’t help but say, “Come on, Brown, let’s see what you’re made of.”

  Faster than Luke believed possible, Ward picked up a chair and swung.

  Luke ducked. The chair leg glanced off his temple, sending him reeling.

  Ward next hurled his full weight on top of him, knocking the air from Luke’s lungs.

  The man was able to get one good punch into his face before Luke rolled over, taking Ward with him. The stinging in his right eye didn’t stop Luke as he threw blow after blow to Ward’s face. Soon the other man wasn’t fighting back but lay limply on the floor. From far away, somewhere behind his raging anger, Luke heard Lucky’s voice screeching to lay off.

  Luke stayed his fists. He shook Ward until the man opened his eyes. “Don’t you ever look in Charity’s direction, understand?”

  Ward nodded.

  “And, what the hell did you say to Faith to make her cry?” Ward didn’t answer, so Luke shoved him, knocking his head against the floor.

  “Nothing. She came looking for me. I guess she just wanted to talk.” He panted a couple of times, then continued, “She was reminiscing about Samuel. Guess she’s missing him some.”

  Luke didn’t believe it for a minute, but he didn’t think he’d get anything truthful out of Ward. “You’re scum, Brown,” he said. “If you think because you saved Mark you can do whatever you like, you’re mistaken. As far as I’m concerned, me not killing you right now makes us even. Furthermore, if we find out you’re the one who crippled our bull, we’ll hang you. It’s range law. My advice to you is get the hell out of here before I decide a beating isn’t enough.”

  Standing, Luke brushed the dirt from his hands and looked to Lucky, who held out a thick chunk of raw beef. “Put this here to your eye. Looks like it’s gonna be a real shiner.”

  Luke just waved him off.

  Ward struggled to his feet and then wobbled outside to the washbasin. His face was bloody and bruised, but the sight gave Luke little comfort.

  “Make sure he doesn’t leave the bunkhouse,” he said to Lucky. “I don’t trust him around anyone.”

  Lucky sighed. “Reckon you’re right.”

  On her way to the kitchen, Faith ran smack into Luke, filthier than Colton the day he was bucked off the back of Smokey’s horse.

  Lifting her gaze to his face, she couldn’t stop her gasp. “Your eye. Your poor face.”

  Luke just stood there. The injured eye was streaked with blood the color of molasses, and the skin around it, red and angry, was swelling with fluid. “Hurts bad,” he said after a moment.

  “It must. I’ve never seen one so bloody. Sit over here and I’ll get you a cool cloth.” She led Luke to the sofa and sat him down. “Would you rather lie on your bed? Does your head hurt, too?”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” he admitted.

  “Fine, then.” She helped him stand, then ushered him upstairs and fluffed his pillows before he sat down and lay back. “Comfortable?”

  He nodded.

  Faith hurried back down to the kitchen for a clean cloth. Working the pump until water gushed forth, she caught it in a pail. Next she filled a glass and started back up the stairs.

  When she returned, Luke’s eyes were closed and his long legs stretched out on the bed, his feet crossed. She softly called his name. “Luke?”

  He didn’t open his eyes. “Yeah.”

  “What happened?”

  “Had a little run-in with someone’s fist. Nothing to worry about.”

  She didn’t want to pry. She had the sneaking suspicion that the fist was Ward’s, but she’d find out later, after he felt better.

  Gingerly she pressed the cold cloth to Luke’s eye, and he flinched.

  “Sorry.” She waited until he seemed to relax, then continued her cleaning. Several other scrapes and cuts on his face were angry and red, so she dabbed at them with the corner of the cloth.

  Unable to stop them, she watched her fingers lightly smooth his soft black hair back from his forehead. Unexpectedly a long lump rose under his hairline, quickly turning an ugly purple and brown.

  “You’ve been hurt worse than your eye. This looks really bad.”

  Almost asleep, his answer was a whisper. “Just a bump. Nothin’ to get your skirts in a knot over.”

  Faith couldn’t help but smile, amused. But her heart trembled at the thought of him fighting Ward. And Ward wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for her. How much would this family suffer because she’d been thrown into their lives? First Charity and now this. It was too much.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  Luke opened his eyes. “Why are you sorry? You’re not responsible for what that man does.” He looked deep into her eyes. Funny, she felt like he didn’t blame her. He really didn’t. And, oh, how his eyes did strange things to her insides. What would loving be like with Luke? She knew in her heart that the union wouldn’t be like it had been with Samuel. It would be wonderful and sweet.

  The beginnings of a slow smile tipped up his lips. The look in his eyes made her wonder if he’d been able to read her thoughts. She felt her face heat.

  “It feels real nice,” he said.

  Flustered, she wondered if he was talking about the cool rag or something entirely different. Her thoughts galloped back to last night as they’d lain together on the soft bed, his body melding with hers in the most natural way. Again she found herself wondering why she couldn’t just tell him the truth. Then when she left he wouldn’t hate her. He would know at least that she’d had to go. That she’d had no other choice.

  If she looked into his eyes a moment longer she would tell him; she wouldn’t be able to stop herself.

  She stood. “I’m going to check on Dawn. It’s her feeding time. Will you be all right alone for a little while?”

  He nodded and closed his eyes. “Only a little while, though.”

  Nodding, Faith went to see her baby. In the room across the hall, Dawn slept peacefully. Faith paced back and forth, telling herself that she only had herself to count on now, but she’d get through this. She was strong. It was best if Luke hated her when she left to supposedly work in Priest’s Crossing. Then he wouldn’t follow and find out she was really with Ward. That secret she’d do anything to spare him.

  Anything.

  Excited voices woke Luke from a deep sleep. Confused, he tried to remember where he was and why he was lying in bed when daylight was streaming through his window. The motion of turning his head made him wince.

  His neck was painfully sore, and his eye was another matter. Gingerly, he explored it with his fingers, remembering the fight. He might be hurting some, but he’d give a buffalo nickel to see Wa
rd.

  Faith materialized out of thin air. She rushed through his doorway, excitement brimming in her eyes. She cradled Dawn, who was wrapped in a blanket.

  “What’s all the commotion downstairs?” Luke asked. With everything else that’d happened today, he wouldn’t be surprised if she said the sun had fallen from the sky.

  “It’s Adam. He says his ma is going to have her baby now.”

  “As if she has a choice,” he mumbled tiredly.

  Faith smiled and gave a quiet laugh. “You’re right about that, Luke McCutcheon. Our babies make the rules, don’t they?” She glanced down at Dawn, placed her finger in the baby’s tiny fist and wiggled it around.

  The look of adoration and love on her face was a sight to see. Did she wish her dead husband could see his daughter? Was she missing him, as Ward had said? He pushed the jealous thought out of his mind and asked, “So. Did you get her fed?”

  Faith glanced up. “Oh, yes. Why, that was some time ago. You’ve been asleep for a couple of hours at least.”

  Luke struggled to sit up. He had things to do; the men must be wondering where he’d made off to. A wave of dizziness swept over him, and he closed his eyes.

  “You don’t look too good, Luke. Maybe you’d better lie back down.”

  “I’m getting up and going to Matt’s. Has he been told yet?”

  “Yes.”

  Luke stood. He held the bedpost for a few moments until the spinning in his head stopped. Feeling better now that he’d gotten his balance back, he stepped close to Faith and looked down at her child. “You want to come along?”

  “Do you think she’d mind?”

  “No. I’m sure she’d be glad to have your help. Being that you’re an experienced mother and all. Gather what you need and I’ll wait downstairs.”

  Faith was down shortly, and the three of them headed for Matt’s. On the way they saw Chance, Roady and Smokey on the bunkhouse porch, eating their noon meals. Seeing Luke, they broke into wide grins.

  “Boys,” Luke acknowledged.