Destiny's Embrace (9 page)
When the buggy reached her, Mariah didn’t slow. “Go away!”
“It’s not my fault you’re so hardheaded.”
She wanted to chop down a tree and knock him over the head with it. “Go away before I hurt you, you insufferable man.”
He had the nerve to laugh.
Seeing a good-sized rock in her path, she picked it up. Aiming high so she wouldn’t hit the horse, she pitched it as hard as she could, and it clunked him right in the center of his forehead.
“Ow!”
Her mouth dropped with surprise—she didn’t think she’d actually strike him.
The ranch hands were holding their breath up until that point, but the stunned look on Logan’s face sent them into fits of howling laughter.
“Dammit, woman!” He touched the spot to see if she’d drawn blood. She had.
Mariah was filled with remorse. “I am oh so sorry.”
“No, you’re not,” he snarled.
“I really, truly am. I didn’t think it would hit you.” She dug her handkerchief out of her skirt pocket and walked over to where he sat fuming. “Here.”
He took the offering and pressed it against the slowly rising lump on his brow.
“You make me so mad I can’t see,” she said.
“You saw well enough to plug me with that rock.”
“I’ve apologized, which is more than I got from you.”
“Why should I apologize because you refused to listen?”
Mariah swung on her heel and marched away.
Logan was still sitting in the buggy seat with her handkerchief on his forehead when a mounted Alanza came charging up.
“Is Mariah all right? Someone said she was in a runaway buggy.”
“She’s fine.”
“Where is she?”
He pointed to her retreating back.
“Where’s she going?”
“Probably to look for something else to assault me with.”
“What?” Alanza suddenly appeared to notice the handkerchief. “Why are you holding that handkerchief to your forehead?”
“She hit me with a rock.”
Alanza blinked and her lips trembled slightly as if she were suppressing a smile.
“Go ahead and laugh. I’ll probably think it’s funny, too, someday.”
“What happened?”
So he told her.
“You know,” she said once he finished telling his side, “you really don’t have much patience and you probably did yell.”
“You’re my
madrastra.
You’re supposed to take my side.”
“Did you apologize?”
“For what?”
“For being impatient, arrogant, high-handed and probably insufferable, knowing how you are.”
His jaw tightened. “No.”
“It was her first lesson, Logan.”
“Every time we’re together for more than a minute, we argue. First the kick and now a rock.”
“Do you want to fire her?”
“No.”
Their eyes met.
Alanza said, “Let her cool off, and then go to her and see if you can’t get past this. Her beauty and fire are already the talk of Guinda.”
Logan knew that to be true from his encounters earlier in the day.
She added, “I ran into Reverend Dennis in town this morning and even he asked about her. Wanted to know if she was churchgoing.”
“And you told him?”
“Truthfully, I didn’t know.”
Reverend Paul Dennis had been seeking a suitable wife since coming to Guinda a year ago. Logan was sure once he got a look at Mariah, he’d put her at the top of his list. Logan had his mistress Valencia, so he told himself that it didn’t matter if men wanted to court his rock-chugging housekeeper, but it did and he refused to contemplate why.
“Do you have any ice at home?” he asked.
“I believe we do.”
“Good. I’ll follow you over and get some before my forehead starts resembling the Sierra foothills.”
M
ariah didn’t slow until she reached the riverbank. Spying a bench, she stripped off her gloves and sat. She was certain Logan would dismiss her this time. His pigheaded personality brought out the worst in hers. Never in life had she kicked anyone or thrown rocks, but all she could envision was more of the same if she stayed in his employ. She looked down at her hands. The plasters kept the cuts from opening again in response to holding the reins but they were sore as the dickens. Once she returned to the house, she’d give him a good soaking in soapy hot water, but she couldn’t think of anything she might use to cure her of reacting the way she had to Logan. How he could claim he hadn’t yelled when he’d been loud enough to break windowpanes back East was beyond her, and he’d given no credence at all to it having been her first driving lesson. Surely he hadn’t expected her to handle the reins perfectly right off the bat, but apparently he had. She stood and walked closer to the water. On the other side, she saw a deer and a fawn stop their drinking and look over at her warily. They were too far away for her to bother so they resumed their drinking before bounding back into the cover provided by the trees. Logan was so busy crowing about being right about her hands that he’d given her absolutely no credit for not letting that be a deterrent or an excuse, which is what the old Mariah might have done. Crossing the country to take the job as his housekeeper had emboldened her in ways that made her feel stronger and more confident about who she was. The old Mariah would never have gotten behind those reins. She admitted to feeling more than a bit of trepidation at the prospect of having to control the large horse, but she hadn’t let her fears sway her. She was proud of herself, even if her employer wasn’t.
Taking a slow stroll down the bank, she wondered if she should quit her position and seek employment elsewhere. Surely she’d be able to find another with someone she didn’t want to assault. The more she thought about it, the better that solution seemed to be. The sounds of an approaching rider interrupted her reverie. It was Logan on his beautiful black horse. The sight of him brought back her rising attraction, even as the memories of their last encounter threatened to reignite the nearly extinguished embers of her anger.
With the stallion reined to a walk, he approached. When he came to a stop behind where she was standing, she had nothing to say to him except, “I’ll look for another position first thing in the morning.”
“I didn’t come to fire you.”
“It doesn’t matter. We don’t get along, so to save my sanity and yours, I’ll move on.”
“To where?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but this isn’t working and we both know it.”
Logan looked up at the sky for a moment, then found himself admiring the strong lines of her back and the delicate shells of her ears made visible by her pulled-back hair. He hadn’t anticipated this, and as a result was unsure of what to say or do. In spite of the volatile last two days, he didn’t want her to walk out of his life. And for the first time in his thirty-seven years, Logan knew he had to eat crow. “I should’ve remembered it was your first time holding reins, and given you credit for wanting to learn, even with your injured hands.”
She turned with surprise written all over face. Her eyes brushed the plaster centered on his forehead. “I am sorry for injuring you.”
“You did warn me.”
She dropped her eyes and he saw the small smile. “From now on, I’ll do my best to be more of a gentleman if you’ll holster your weapons. Your temper’s becoming legendary around here.”
“Never knew I had one until I met you.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“I used to be meek as a church mouse.”
“You?”
She nodded. “Me.”
She looked off into the distance as if thinking. He saw a cloud pass over her features and so asked gently, “What’s the matter?”
“Just thinking about that other me.”
“What do you mean?”
She turned back to the water and the silence of the trees and mountains rose around them. For a moment, he thought she might not answer, but she finally said in a quiet tone, “My first memories are of my mother berating me. I was beaten, slapped, and called worthless my entire life. I came to California to escape that and her.”
Logan froze.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “And never once did I talk back, or question or do anything but be obedient.”
“Things didn’t change after your marriage.”
“There was no marriage, Logan. I lied about being a widow so I could get the position and flee.”
He had no idea why he felt so elated but he began chuckling softly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just you.”
“So, now you really have ample grounds to dismiss me.”
“But I won’t, and I’ll keep your secret if you decide to stay on.”
“Thank you.”
He saw her then in a whole new light. Not many women would leave the safety of their homes and set out across the country to seek out a new life, not knowing what they’d find on the other side. Yet she had, and turned herself from church mouse into a very formidable woman. He wanted to know more about her relationship with her mother, but decided to defer it for now. Just hearing what he had and that she was as prim and as innocent as she appeared was enough for him to digest for the moment. “Would you like to ride back to the house with me?”
“No, I think I’ll walk if you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine.”
He turned Diablo.
“Logan.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, again.”
“My pleasure.” Filled with thoughts of her, he rode away.
W
atching him depart, Mariah certainly hadn’t planned to tell him about her mother or the truth about her marital state, but it felt right, and she felt better inside as well.
On the walk back, she let the beautiful scenery remind her why coming to California had been such a grand idea. It was a gorgeous day, a mirror of the one before and she wondered if the weather was always so glorious. Up above, birds soared beneath the fat white clouds. She saw more deer and a fat rabbit who ran from her as if its tail was on fire. Next, she came upon a stand of wildflowers that took her breath away. She’d seen them on her way to the river, but at the time had been too upset to stop. Now, she paused to pick a few, and inhaling their fragrance made her smile.
As she moved on, she wished Kaye were with her to experience all she’d seen and hoped she and Carson were doing well. She held the same hope for her Aunt Libby. Had it not been for her and her copy of the
Tribune
, Mariah might still be in Philadelphia trying to figure out her future. Her mother crossed her mind. Did Bernice care about how Mariah might be faring? It was impossible to know. Since leaving the dress shop on that awful day, she’d prayed for her mother every night and vowed to continue to do so.
Her journey brought her back within sight of the house and corrals, and as she passed the ranch hands hauling away the burnt wood from the old bunkhouse, Eli walked over to her and asked, “Did Logan find you?”
“Yes, he did.”
“You plan to let him live?”
“I do.”
“Good. He can be a pain in the rear sometimes, but me and folks around here like him a lot, so I’m glad you two worked things out.”
“So am I.”
Inside the house, Logan quickly packed enough clothes for a few days, then went into the bathing room to grab his shaving kit. That the rock-throwing Mariah Cooper wasn’t a widow but in reality an innocent infused him with muted delight. Virgins usually made him run for the hills, but the idea of being the first to initiate the hellion into the realm of pleasure made the challenge of doing so that much more enticing—thus he had to go. It was his hope that visiting Valencia would counteract Mariah’s steadily tightening spell because it made no damn sense for him to be this damn hard over a woman he’d met two days ago.
Mariah took her flowers into the kitchen to put them in water and realized there was nothing suitable for the purpose except one of the dented metal tumblers. Hoping its owner wouldn’t mind, she took one down, filled it with a few inches of water, and set the short-stemmed beauties inside. Smiling, she turned and the sight of Logan standing in the doorway brought her up short. The intensity in his eyes made her heart race so swiftly it took her a moment to remember she knew how to speak. “Um, you look very nice,” she said, referencing his brown suit.
“I have some business I need to take care of. Be back the day after tomorrow.”
Because he’d not said anything about this earlier, she found his declaration surprising, but he wasn’t legally bound to discuss his comings and goings with her beforehand, so she replied, “Have a safe trip.”
“If you need anything, see Alanza or Eli.”
“I will.” For a moment, he looked as if he might have more to say, but he abruptly turned on his heel and left her. Wondering why the exchange felt so strange, she shook her head and left by the back door to place her flowers in her room.
W
hen Logan entered Stewart’s, the town’s general store, the sight of Valencia behind the counter made him relax. With her there’d be no kicking, throwing rocks, or arguing. She glanced up and gave him a smile. She didn’t offer more of a greeting because of the female customer she was helping with a perfume purchase. Rather than interrupt, he walked over to where the store’s catalogs were kept, hoping he’d find a suitable stove for his home.
The store was a landmark and had been in operation for as long as he could remember. It was established by Val’s father, Jeremiah Stewart, during the heyday of the forty-niners. He’d come west with a group of free Black men from back East, and like most who’d flocked to California, he and his friends knew nothing about the rigors of mining. They did know hard work, however, and as a result became very wealthy. Jeremiah took his earnings and opened a store to supply other miners with the goods and tools they needed, and because they paid in gold he became even more wealthy. When the mining panned out and settlers moved in, he began selling things they needed, like farm implements and dry goods. He died five years ago, leaving the enterprise to his wife, Ida, and daughter Valencia Rose.
The store was busy and Val was still helping customers, so after writing down the order numbers for a stove, an icebox he liked, and a few other items, he nodded a greeting to some of the customers he knew. He crossed to the newspaper stand and picked up the latest issue of the
Daily Alta California
, one of the San Francisco papers. Leafing through, he paused to read an article on the Congress of Berlin awarding Africa’s Congo to Belgium, and Nigeria to England, when a familiar feminine voice said, “You know I charge two pennies for reading my newspapers without buying.”
It was Val.
Pleased, he set the paper back on the stack. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. Sorry it took me so long to greet you. Been a busy day.”
“I see that. Can I steal you away long enough for a piece of pie?”
“Sure can. Let me tell Curtis I’m leaving for a little while.” Curtis Adams was one of her two clerks.
Once that was done, they started up the walk.
“So, anything new?” he asked.
“Mama’s been feeling poorly, so I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon to go see her.”
Her mother lived in San Francisco with a sister. “Nothing serious, I hope?”
“I don’t think so, but I won’t know for sure until I get there.”
Of course Logan didn’t like hearing that her mother wasn’t well, but he was disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to spend more than a night together. “Sorry to hear that. Was hoping to take you shopping.”
She stuck her hand in the crook of his arm and leaned close. “You are so sweet. Maybe some other time.”
They entered the small diner run by Naomi Pearl. The place was crowded as always and they were greeted by the beautiful chocolate-skinned owner.
“Afternoon, Val. Logan. What can I get you?”
“Pie,” Val answered.
“Get yourselves a seat and I’ll be back directly.”
Naomi’s diner, Pearl’s, was yet another landmark. It was founded by her parents, Wesley and Anna, who began life as slaves in Panama. When Colombia abolished slavery in the Isthmus in 1852, they, like many of their freed countrymen, came north to seek their fortunes in the Mother Lode counties of California. They were both cooks, and because good cooks were in such high demand by the miners, they set steep prices for their services as they traveled from claim to claim. According to legend, Anna’s pies alone brought in enough gold for the couple to live on quite comfortably. They’d recently returned to Panama to enter the hotel business. Naomi, born in the States, opted to stay.
She arrived a few moments later and set down two still warm pieces of her famous apple pie. “Enjoy,” she told them and left to tend to her other customers.
“Eli still sweet on her?” Val asked.
Logan nodded. “Yes.”
“Poor fellow.”
“Why’s that?”
“She isn’t the most even-tempered woman around. Any man after her heart would need the patience of a saint.”
He immediately thought of Mariah Cooper. “Whereas you?”
“Are of sound temper and mind, and undoubtedly a fine catch,“ she offered up teasingly.
He raised a forkful of pie in agreement. “Yes, you are.”
But she had no plans to marry. Due to the laws governing wives and their rights to hold property, she worried that a husband might gain control of her business and assets.
“What happened to your forehead?”
Logan froze. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve a plaster on it, Logan.”
He touched the spot. “Misjudged the height of a branch while I was riding,” he lied. “It’s nothing.”
He watched her study it for a bit longer before returning to her pie. He didn’t like lying to her, but the last thing he wanted was to discuss or be reminded of his run-in with his housekeeper.
“I hear Alanza found you a housekeeper.”
He froze again and swallowed the pie in his throat. “Yes, a woman from back East. Widow named Cooper.”