Lorraine Heath (12 page)

Shaking her head, she kept her face averted. “It’s okay. It’s just because I’m pregnant. I get moody.” She rubbed her closed eyelids, hoping when she looked at him he wouldn’t know that tears had sprung to her eyes. Sometimes she felt like a heavy black rain cloud that could burst forth showers unexpectedly anytime.

“It was supposed to be a surprise, but I’ll show you now if you want,” Jake said.

Her head snapped around, unshed tears filling her eyes, and a big smile gracing her face that melted his heart.

“A surprise?”

He returned her smile before getting up to haul supplies out of the way. He pulled forth a wooden chair. Her eyes flew from the chair to the piece of carved wood he had been working on.

“A rocking chair?” she asked.

“I thought a mother should be able to rock her baby.”

“Oh, Jake,” she whispered, her fingers pressed lightly to her lips. She lovingly touched the chair’s back, the delicately carved spindles trailing down. Then she ran her hand over the armrests before pressing her palm to the seat. “You did all this?”

“It’s not—” The look in her eyes stayed his words.

“If you say it’s not much, I’ll whack you.”

He grinned at her.

“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she said. “Why did you make me think you didn’t have any carpentry skills?”

“I started planning this before we left Kentucky. Thought the surprise would be more fun if you weren’t expecting anything.”

“And was it?”

“Yep, but that’s not all.”

Incredulously, she looked at him. “What else have you been up to?”

He cleared more obstacles out of the way before turning back to her, holding a small wooden cradle. He set it down at her feet. She dropped to her knees and he knelt beside her.

“I made the bottoms curved so you can rock him in here if you want to.”

She tipped the cradle and released it, watching it rock back and forth. But it was the tiny headboard that fascinated her. Intricately carved mustangs adorned it. In wonder, she outlined one of the horses rearing up on his back legs.

“Did you carve all this?” she asked, awed.

“I didn’t know what to put on it. I wanted something that would be okay whether you had a boy or a girl and then I figured with your love for horses, your child’s bound to love them, too. But if you want, I can redo it if the baby’s a girl and you want something a little more dainty.”

Amazed, she said, “Jake, do you have any idea how many fine things I’ve been given over the years, how many expensive things? And not one of them is as valuable as
this. It’s so obviously from your heart.” She squeezed her eyes shut to stay the tears but they burst forth anyway. Her hands flew to cover her face as she released a loud sob.

His arms came around her. “This wasn’t supposed to make you cry.”

“You’re too good to me. You give me everything and I don’t give you anything.”

“Married people aren’t supposed to keep a tally of what they do for each other, Reb. It all evens out in the end. Here.” He pulled back, wiping her tears from her face. “You stop crying and I’ll finish the rocker so we can take it inside the house and you can try it out. Okay?”

She nodded and went back to sit on the stool, watching the love and care he poured into his work, wondering if there was a limit to how much he could give.

T
EN-YEAR-OLD
J
OHN
R
EADING
slowed his galloping horse down to a trot. He didn’t want to spook the cattle that Mr. and Mrs. Burnett were moving along. Growing up on a ranch, he was familiar with the dangers a spooked cow could unleash. His father’s temper was one of them if any of his boys were to blame for a stampede.

Recognizing his dilemma, Jake and Rebecca moved away from the few unbranded strays they’d run across. The boy was laughing so hard they were afraid he was going to fall out of his saddle.

“Ma says you’re to come over right now!” He guffawed, pressing a tightened fist into his stomach. “Funniest thing I ever did see’d! Geese flew in and started eating Pa’s corn out in the field. Aggravated him so much he threw them the corn he’d been soaking in whiskey. Geese ate it!” He inhaled deeply. “Now, they’re so drunk they can’t fly! They’re acting like Matthew did last time he went to town, and Ma said we’re gonna catch ‘em and eat ‘em before they throw up like Matthew did! Ma says it don’t matter you got work to do. You gotta come!” He took off without waiting for an answer. He had four other ranches to visit and he wanted to get back while the geese were still flapping their wings. Besides, when Ma said to do something, it got done.

Jake glanced over at Rebecca. “Does that woman ever ask?”

“Would it make a difference?”

“Reckon not. Let’s get these cows to Zach so he can brand them, and we’ll round up the rest of the men and get over there.”

Leaning into Jake, Rebecca wiped the tears from her eyes. They had stopped off at the house and she had changed into a light blue cotton dress. She had no desire for Carrie or any of their other neighbors to see the atrocious clothing she wore when she rode a horse these days. She and Jake had come in the wagon, some of the men riding with them. Others, anxious to see the drunken geese, had opted to ride their horses so they could get to the Triple Bar quicker.

“Funniest thing I ever did see’d,” Rebecca crowed and Jake thought he was going to have to hold her up. He couldn’t recall ever seeing her laugh this hard. Rambunctious children rushed after the geese who could remember no more about flying than the flapping of their wings. The geese emitted garbled honks and fumbled over webbed feet that didn’t take them where they wanted to go. Less daring children settled for picking up the geese that had passed out in the field.

Some of the adults were turning the geese on skewers over the open flames. How Carrie had managed to prepare in so short a time for so many people was beyond Rebecca’s comprehension, but prepared she had and everyone felt welcome. Tables were set up with benches, quilts were spread beneath trees. There were even burlap sacks stuffed with goose feathers for anyone who wanted them for mattresses or pillows.

When the meal was done and all the greasy fingers had been licked or washed, Carrie announced that the boys wanted to have a tournament. Rebecca was standing near Zach when the proclamation was made. She glanced over at him, raising a brow.

“A tournament?”

“They had one at the Fourth of July picnic. It was pretty interesting.” He took a step closer, relishing the opportunity to be near her. “The boys pretend they are knights of
old attempting to win a fair maiden’s hand. See the poles Michael is putting up?”

Rebecca nodded as she watched Michael poke a pole in the ground every sixty feet or so. The poles each had an arm that extended out and held a ring even with a mounted man’s shoulder.

“The boys use wooden lances to take the rings off the poles. They each get several passes and someone keeps tally of the number of rings each boy manages to hook and keep on his lance. The one who gets the most is proclaimed the champion knight and is given the honor of selecting a queen.”

One behind another, the young men lined up on their horses, Frank among them. People gathered on both sides of the three hundred foot track where the horses would run.

Matthew Reading galloped to the center of the track holding up a tightened fist and made the first announcement in a deep clear voice. “Knight of the Triple Bar, ready, ride!”

Luke Reading lowered his lance, spurred his horse and galloped down the line. He knocked the first ring to the ground, hooked the second. He galloped to the third, hooked the ring but it slipped off his lance. He continued the ride to the end, missing the last two rings, then turned around and galloped back to Matthew, presenting him with the solitary ring that had managed to stay on his lance. Carrie wrote the number down and Michael hung the rings back on the arms of the poles.

Matthew made the next announcement, “Knight of the Rocking R, ready, ride!” and Frank took off, gathering all the rings along the way to the chant of beginner’s luck.

More than anything else, Jake enjoyed watching his wife when she was enjoying something. Her face was alight, her eyes pools of blue taking in everything that was happening before her. Slowly, he eased his way up through the crowd to stand behind her. Slipping his arms around her, he brought his mouth close to her ear. “No.”

Rebecca’s smile increased. She turned slightly, poking her finger into his chest.

“As soon as this baby is born, Jake Burnett, I’m going to do it.”

He laughed. “It wouldn’t be fair to the boys.” He lowered his voice. “You know you’d win.”

She returned his laughter. “In private then.” She leaned back against him. “But I am going to do it, one way or the other.”

Jake looked over at Zach. “You should see her when she’s not riding for two. Those boys wouldn’t stand a chance.”

The riders rode the length three times. When the numbers were tallied, Frank was declared the Champion Knight and given the privilege of selecting someone to be his Queen. Searching the crowds, he spied the woman he wanted and his smile grew. Now was his opportunity to make her feel special. “Ruth Reading!”

Ruth groaned. Only at her mother’s persistent prodding did she move forward to receive a kiss from Frank. Frank hadn’t known he’d be expected to kiss her. He decided he was being offered the ideal opportunity to show Ruth that he was indeed a man, and not some gangling boy. Taking her in his arms, he leaned her over backwards, intending to impress her with his romantic embrace. But just as his lips reached hers, he lost his balance and they both plummeted to the ground.

Jake lowered his head moving it slowly from side to side. Rebecca covered her face with her hands. Zach walked off, laughing.

The velvet darkness had descended over the land and the people gathered around the campfires. They were singing ballads and listening to tales. Rebecca was sitting beside Jake, her hand in his.

Zach leaned against a tree and watched as Jake said something to Rebecca, something that made her smile. She tilted her head up and said something to him. Of all the couples sitting before the dancing flames, Rebecca and Jake seemed to have the most to say to each other, and Zach was fascinated watching how easily Jake could bring a
smile to her face. Jake’s fingers splayed across the top of Rebecca’s stomach. Zach saw a softness sweep over both their faces simultaneously, and he knew they had felt the baby move. He stomped down the green monster that threatened to rule him. He had hated Jake when he was a boy because a son wasn’t supposed to hate his father. He wouldn’t envy him now because he was married to Rebecca. He shoved himself away from the tree and walked off into the night.

Sitting outside the ring of fires, Frank wondered what the hell he could do to make Ruth like him, to make her want to be with him. He had intended to sweep her off her feet with his kiss that afternoon. Well, he had certainly swept her off her feet, but not the way he had intended. He had wanted her to take notice of him and she certainly had when he’d dropped her before falling down on top of her. He’d made a real fool of himself and he hadn’t even been drinking. Solemnly, he went to get his horse. There was nothing for him here.

Dropping down on the bed, holding out a buttonhook, Rebecca stuck a foot up, batting her eyelashes several times. “Please?”

Jake took the buttonhook from her and she pressed her foot against his thigh. He had such firm thighs. She watched his fingers struggling with the buttons on her shoes.

“Why do they make these things so tiny?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Here I’ll do it,” she said as she reached for the hook.

He pulled it back. “No, I’ll do it.”

She lay back, resting up on her elbows. “I enjoyed today.”

“I could tell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you laugh so hard. Felt sorry for Frank, though.”

Rebecca sighed. “I wish he would leave Ruth alone. She’s obviously not interested in him.”

Jake pulled her shoe off and dropped it to the floor. She rubbed her stockinged foot up and down his thigh, enjoying the feel of his hardened muscles against her instep. His
hand came to rest over her foot, stilling her actions. She looked up into his intense gaze, wondering what she had been thinking, realizing she hadn’t been thinking at all.

“I’ll do the other one,” she squeaked before clearing her throat.

“I’ll do it,” Jake said as he patted his thigh.

She lowered one foot to the floor and replaced it with the other. His eyes left hers to concentrate on his task. He dropped the second shoe to the floor and pressed her foot against his thigh.

“Did you need to rub this one?” he asked, his intense gaze back on her.

She closed her eyes, trying to think. To breathe she had to bring air into her lungs and then blow it out. She could do that. She opened her eyes and he stepped back, her foot dropping to the floor.

“Maybe another time,” he said. He turned, breathing deeply.

“Jake?”

Turning back around, he gave her a small smile. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have …”

Reaching out, he touched her cheek. “Don’t apologize. Partnerships aren’t easy.”

“But we should have a marriage.”

“Maybe someday we will.”

“I’m your wife. You have the right—”

Quickly, he pressed his finger against her lips, silencing her words. “Lord, Reb, I can’t think of anything that’d be more degrading to either one of us.”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Do you?”

“I don’t know,” she replied honestly.

A banging on the door made them both jump. Jake gave her a small smile before moving around the quilt, heading for the door. Rebecca followed him, wondering what exactly it was she did want.

Jake lifted the bar and opened the door slightly. He peered out and then ushered Zach into the house.

“I’m sorry to bother you so late,” Zach began, “but coming home, I ran across Frank’s horse, still saddled, about a mile from here. Looked like it had done some pretty hard riding.”