Emma's Blaze (Fires of Cricket Bend Book 2) (15 page)

“Jesus,” Emma whispered, and slammed back another shot of whiskey.

Callie rushed to greet Haven. “How are you, cupcake?”

Haven put a hand on her belly, and Bill tore his eyes from her face to see that she was big with child. “I’m nearly asleep on my feet. What’s going on? Where’s Nate?”

“Jasper took him over to the schoolhouse for a bit so he could watch the men doing their sawing and building. Says boys like that kind of thing from the day they’re born.” Callie put a hand on Haven’s back. “Sweetheart, you remember Bill McKenzie.”

“How could I forget?” Haven offered her hand to Bill.

“Ma’am.” Bill accepted her hand and shook it. “I assume your father is around somewhere.”

“He and some others are helping put a new roof on the schoolhouse,” she answered.

“Haven, I’d like you to meet someone.” Callie eased into the introduction. “This is Emma.”

Haven offered her hand with a lovely smile. “I’m Haven.”

Emma didn’t accept the outstretched hand. “So I’ve heard.”              

Her response startled Bill a little. Haven kept smiling, nonetheless.

“Pardon me?”

“My name is Emma Porter.”

Haven’s skin, already porcelain, went even paler. “Oh, my stars.”

“Hank is my husband,” Emma said, charging ahead. “He has several things that belong to me, and I need to find him. It’s urgent. I understand you might be able to help.”

Haven didn’t speak. When he turned to Emma, Bill saw every thought that passed behind her green eyes. He saw hurt and anger and hatred and jealousy. With a glance back at Haven, he saw her mind working too, her eyes flashing similar feelings.

“Your husband.”

One small nod was Emma’s only response.

For a moment, Haven seemed as if she might cry. Her dark eyes started to grow watery, but she blinked it back and spoke in an even tone. “I can help you.”

Callie whirled on her. “You said you didn’t know where he went.”

“I don’t,” Haven answered. “At least, I probably don’t anymore. He wrote me twice. First from Galveston, then New Orleans. Best I can tell, he’s there. He talked about it.”

“New Orleans.” Emma’s face brightened. “I’m sure you’re right. He lived there for a while, and always talked about going back. Do you still have the letters?”

Haven shook her head.

The tension unnerved Bill. The women spoke in simple words, but he wasn’t so dumb as to not notice the oceans of emotion underneath each statement and question. He spoke up at last. “Is your husband well, Mrs. Frank?”

“Why don’t you ask him?” Callie tipped her head toward the door.

Striding into the saloon came a good-looking yellow-haired man, with a growing beard. As he saw Bill, he grinned broadly. “Holy hell, Bill.” Matthew Frank extended his hand in greeting. “Doc said you were here, and also that you’d brought a wild rose of Texas with you.” Matthew smiled at Emma. “Doc’s famous for noticing the very second a pretty face comes to town.”

Callie gestured. “Matthew Frank, Emma Porter. And before you even ask, yes, Emma is Hank’s wife.”

Matthew’s eyes got huge. Immediately, he turned to Haven. The two of them exchanged a look that spoke volumes.

Matthew moved close to Haven, and put protective arm around her waist. “Hank ran out of town nearly a year ago. We ain’t heard from him since.”

“He’s in New Orleans,” Haven blurted.

Matthew’s confusion was evident. “You said you didn’t know where he was.”

“He wrote me.”

“He wrote you?”

“Do you have the letters?” Emma interrupted.

“I burned them,” Haven said. “Figured they’d come back to cause trouble someday.”

“Looks like you were right,” Matthew said.

Callie stepped in the middle of everyone, ever the perfect hostess. She put a hand on Matthew’s arm and gestured to Bill. “Boys, you two get yourself some drinks, and sit and catch up. On the house, of course.” Callie focused on Emma. “Honey, you’re a sight. Come with me. I’ll get you cleaned up. Looks like you got some cuts and bruises too. Haven can tend to those. She’s a fancy nurse now. Been through a program in Philadelphia and everything.”

“Congratulations,” Bill replied. He indicated her belly. “On a few things, it looks like.”

“Thank you,” Haven replied.

Matthew turned to Haven, and spoke in a low voice, “Are you all right with all this?”

“I’ll be fine,” Haven answered before she kissed his cheek. “You have a drink or two with Bill. I’ll be back in a while, then we can head home.”

Bill leaned in to Emma. “Are you all right?”

“I don’t know what to think,” she admitted. Instead of a being her usual, bold self, she stood before him, looking like a lost child. “But I doubt there’s a soul alive who wouldn’t agree that I desperately need a bath.”

“Don’t we both?” He knew neither of them looked remotely presentable. “You go with the girls. Matthew and I can catch up here for a while. This ain’t that big a place. I’ll find you later. You go with Callie and Haven, and say all the things that the three of you need to say.”

As the three women left the saloon, Matthew stepped up to Bill. “I’d give a couple teeth to be a fly on the wall for the discussion that’s about to happen.”

“You and me both, Deputy.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-TWO

Emma

On the way to the bathhouse, the three women were greeted by a young man with red hair a few shades lighter than Emma’s own, carrying a baby boy in his arms. Upon seeing Callie, the young man lit up brighter than a hundred candles. Whoever he was, he was clearly smitten with Callie.

“Hello, darling,” Callie rushed forward, but her words were aimed at the child and not the young man. His features fell a bit as Callie took the child from him and into her arms. With a loving kiss to his cheek, she gave him a gentle squeeze.

“Ladies.” The man noticed Haven and Emma.

“Jasper.” Haven began. “This is Emma Porter.”

“Porter.” Jasper let a quick laugh. “Not
the
—”

“The very same,” Emma replied.

“Damn!”

“Jasper!” Callie protested, indicating the child.

“Sorry.” Jasper turned to Emma and recovered his composure. “Well, ma’am, it’s nice to meet you. I’m second deputy around here, if you need anything.”

“This is Nate.” Callie looked like she was about to burst with pride as she showed the child to Emma. “He’s my son.”

“Little bug’s been yawning for a bit,” Jasper said. “Thought I’d put him down for a nap.”

That Callie had found a respectable man, let alone a deputy, and had a child by him, struck Emma as good luck. Jasper obviously adored Callie, and even if was shorter than Emma, he wasn’t bad-looking. It appeared Callie had changed her station completely. Emma had been surprised to see her former partner being both a businesswoman and mother, but Callie glowed with happiness.

And for good reason too, Emma saw. The child, Nate, was red-cheeked and adorable. As she watched, he turned his small face to hers. Her heart nearly stopped. The bonnet on his head had slipped back a little, which revealed a shock of thick black hair. When she looked closer, she saw the boy already had startling green eyes.

Emma had to bite back a gasp. She would have bet her life that Nate was not Jasper’s son, but the son of Hank Porter.

“Emma and Haven and I…we have some business to discuss.” Callie lay a hand on Jasper’s arm.

“I don’t doubt it,” Jasper cast a knowing look between the three women. “I’ll leave you ladies to it.” With a grin, Jasper scooped the boy out of Callie’s arms, and headed on his way.

Just a few doors down stood the bathhouse. Emma had been in far more opulent bathhouses, but the simplicity didn’t matter. The chance to soak in hot water made her feel like she’d died and gone straight to heaven. Callie paid the owner, and they were directed to the far end of a row of stalls. All three women went inside one of the doors, and Emma immediately stripped off her dirty clothes. Haven averted her eyes out of modesty, which made Emma roll her eyes. As if a woman’s naked form was something to be embarrassed by. How much sweeter could the deputy’s wife be? Emma stood nude by the tub, not at all concerned about modesty.

Callie dipped a finger in the water and pulled it back quickly. “Might want to give it a minute. It’s near boiling.”

With no hesitation, Emma stepped into the water. It was so hot, her skin immediately turned a flaming red, much brighter than the sunburn she’d gotten over the past few weeks. The notion of a bath, a real bath, was the stuff of dreams. She dropped into the water and felt the hot steam go up her nose.

Callie kicked the dirty trail clothes aside and sat on the bench in the small compartment. She handed Emma a bar of soap. Haven sat down beside her, looking happy to be off her feet.

Callie wasted no time. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I’ve been on a cattle drive.”

“A cattle drive?”

“A cattle drive.”

“Jeepers. I’d go out of my head with boredom.”

“Boredom? You left Fort Worth to come here.”

“For your information, this is a fine town. I won’t have you insulting it. Folks here are honest and hard-working.”

“And I’m sure they’ve all just gone out of their way to welcome you.”

“There’s no reason to be cruel. Some folks won’t look past my former profession. That’s their choice. Others, with more open minds, got to know me. In time, I hope more will do the same. Speaking of time, how long were you out there playing at being a cattleman?”

“What day is it?”

“Today is April twentieth.”

Had it been nearly three whole weeks? The whole adventure had flown by, and Emma realized with a start that it was over. She wouldn’t likely be returning to the drive. There would be no more cooking on an open fire with cows and horses wandering aimlessly around. No more cowboys by her side. No more endless land. She pushed aside the sad ache that settled in her heart. Callie expected her to still be The Sparrow, and The Sparrow would never feel sadness over leaving a cattle drive behind. “The days were long, but they went by fast. A cattle drive is the busiest kind of bored there is, I reckon.”

“Reckon?” Callie exclaimed. “You’re even talking like a cattleman.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Emma asked.

Callie folded her arms over her chest. “Each spring, they ride into town and cause nothing but trouble. The McKenzie boys, especially.”

“They’re good men,” Emma argued.

“Andrew McKenzie beat the tar out of Callie last spring,” Haven finally interjected.

The news struck Emma. She’d heard the story of Andrew’s crime, but knowing that the woman had been Callie made it even more personal. Andrew’s vile nature had hurt too many people. “It was you?”

“Yep.”

“And Theo—” Haven closed her eyes, as if she didn’t want to remember. “Theo went after my papa. I tried to stop him, and he came after me. If Matthew hadn’t been there, I don’t want to think about what might have happened.”

“The rest of them aren’t like that,” Emma insisted. “I swear. Pete and Jess, and Saul, they’re good men. They saved my life.”

“Lucky you,” Haven countered. It surprised Emma to hear bitterness in her voice. Something unfriendly lay just beneath the surface. Not for the first time, Emma wondered what had transpired between Haven and Hank.

Callie put a hand on Haven’s leg, and spoke pointedly at Emma. “Cowboys aside, what do you need with Hank?”

“He took my money, as well as my pin—”

“That sparrow pin?”

“Yes,” she replied. “It was from my mother. I want it back.”

“Lord,” Callie leaned back against the wall of the room. “He told me it was from his own mother. I’ll slap him up to Heaven if I ever see him again.”

“I doubt Heaven is where he’ll end up.” Emma slid her whole body down into the tub to wet her hair. The hot water curled around her face, which felt divine. She’d missed hot water more than she’d realized. The soap smelled of lavender; she breathed in the fragrance. Since Hank was no longer in Cricket Bend, she needed to change her plans once again. Could she make the long trip to New Orleans? Did she even want to?

“Have you two known each other long?” Haven asked once Emma had come back up to sitting in the water.

“We barely know each other,” Callie confessed.

“We might have become closer, if you hadn’t run off with my husband.”

“Like I said, he told me you were aware of—”

“He told you lies.”

“I know that now.”

Angry silence filled the steamy room.

Callie tried again. “If you want my advice—”

“I’m not sure I do, honestly.”

“Forget about Hank. Consider the things he took as a loss, and get on with other things.”

“Other things?”

A sparkle shone in Callie’s eyes. “Namely that big, good-looking cowboy out there. The one who looks at you like you fell from the stars and have diamonds between your legs.”

“Callie!” Haven looked wide-eyed at her friend.

“We’re all grown women here.” Callie pointed to Haven’s belly. “Don’t try and tell me you and Matthew are spending your nights chaste and saintly.” She turned back at Emma. “I presume you let Bill keep you warm on those cool nights under the stars?”

Unable to help herself, Emma laughed. “You’re not embarrassed by anything.”

“Never have been.” Callie beamed with pride. “Can’t say I blame you. All of us around here have had the unfortunate experience of encountering the McKenzie boys before, but Bill is far and away the best of all of them.”

If there was one thing in the world Emma knew to be true, that was it. “He is.”

“You keep away from Andrew,” Callie practically growled. “That bastard deserves terrible things.”

“He should have stayed away from me. Had to knock him out, and now Bill’s worried he’s coming here to make some trouble. Ran off from the drive a few days back. Killed a prize longhorn, and started a stampede.”

“Mercy,” Callie whispered. “Anyone hurt?”

Emma shook her head. “Nearly, but no.”

The three women said nothing for a moment, and Emma sat back in the tub. She’d never really be one to have women friends. Was this what it was like? Honest conversations about men and loving, bickering over old feuds, and shared secrets?

There was one secret Emma was dying to know about. She began her inquiry delicately, turning her attention to Callie. “Your son is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Callie said. “He’s a good boy.”

“He looks like Hank.”

“That’s because Hank’s his pa.”

“Callie!”

“The minute I saw Nate, and his eyes and black hair, I knew. Even now, he’ll give a little smile or squint his eyes, and I see Hank so clearly. He’s the spitting image of the rascal. I’m not surprised you noticed.”

“Hank doesn’t know?”

“I doubt he even knew I was with child, let alone that the child is his. And I intend to keep it that way. My boy will be loved to pieces, and raised right, surrounded by good people. He’ll never have any need of his no-good father. Of course, I don’t need to be telling you. You know better than the both of us what Hank is like.”

When Callie stopped talking, the room fell silent again. Haven picked at her fingernails, fidgeting. Emma pulled her knees up to her chest.

“I’m in need of clothes,” Emma said. She pointed to the pile on the floor. “All I have are those.”

“Those aren’t fit for kindling,” Callie replied. “You’re taller than me, but I have something that might work. Stay right there, and I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Emma took the soap to her shoulders.

Callie left the room.

Emma and Haven sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Haven fanned her face a bit, before resting a hand on her belly.

“When are you due to have that baby?”

“I got about three more months,” Haven replied. “If I last that long. I’m so tired it feels as if I could sleep for months.”

“Do you keep many secrets from your husband?”

“Very few.” Haven’s eyes turned icy. “I didn’t tell Matthew about the letters because I knew he’d go find Hank and kill him.”

“Does he have a reason to? Were you and Hank lovers?” Emma asked.

“No!”

“I will not hold it against you if you were,” Emma assured her. “I’m sure Hank conveniently forgot to tell you we were married. If he even remembers that himself, which I doubt. He tends to forget things that are inconvenient.”

Haven remained insistent. “We were not lovers. We nearly were, but I ran away like a scared colt. I couldn’t do that to Matthew, no matter how confused I was.”

“Does he know that?”

“I told him everything.”

“And he stayed with you?”

“Yes.” Haven spoke with genuine surprise. “Matthew knows I’m not perfect. Everyone does foolish things, things they regret. He was hurt, but he’s forgiven me my indiscretion.”

Emma thought about how badly she’d hurt Bill, which was likely on par with the hurt Haven had dealt Matthew, yet the Franks had gone on to get married, and they were about to have a child. The thought made Emma feel a little hope. Maybe there was a way to fix what she’d done. Maybe Bill could find a way to unclench his heart a little and forgive her, or at least start to.

Haven’s fingers twitched. For all her perfection, the pretty brunette was a terrible liar.

Emma asked a question she already knew the answer to. “You didn’t really burn those letters, did you?”

With no hesitation, Haven came clean. “I hid them. I don’t know why. I’ll get them to you. But you can’t tell Matthew.”

Emma slipped back under the water to rinse the soap from her hair. The world was full of little miracles, and hot water was perhaps the best of them all.