Roz Denny Fox (15 page)

“I guess you’re speechless, huh?” she demanded. “On second thought,” she said, wagging a finger in his face, “I’d rather you didn’t spread the news around town. I don’t want a stampede of gem-hunters crowding me.”

“Gem-hunters?” Jake shifted his eyes from her stomach to stare blankly at her flushed face.

“Honestly! Haven’t you heard a word I said?” she asked as he rose to his feet. Too happy not to share her joy with somebody, Hayley flung her arms around Jake’s neck. “I hit a vein of opal! I’m not sure of the grade, but I’ve positively identified my find. A lower grade only means the difference between my baby and me surviving and being comfortably rich.” Her delighted laughter was muffled against Jake’s chest as she tightened her arms and buried her face in his shirtfront.

He didn’t even realize that his heart had kicked into overdrive. Once again Jake felt the wriggle of new life when Hayley’s stomach pressed tight to his. “I’ve missed you,” he said simply. “Missed you a lot. Now that you’ve made your discovery, you can hire someone to dig this stuff. You can supervise from the Triple C.” He unwound her arms and held her at arm’s length, then yanked her close to hug her again. “I can’t explain what’s going on inside my head—and my heart,” he said, raining kisses on the top of her head. “I only know I want you where I can take care of you and your baby.”

“What are you talking about?” She freed an arm and then wrenched out of his grasp. “I can’t leave my claim. I have to stay here and dig as much ore as I can. Enough to sell and tide us over until my baby’s old enough to bring here with me. I can’t afford a crew, Jake. Even if I could, I wouldn’t trust them not to steal me blind. Please, if you want to do what’s best for me, go home and forget what I’ve found.” Her voice broke with emotion. “I shouldn’t have told anyone.”

Jake didn’t like to hear her beg. “I won’t tell,” he promised gruffly, feeling sick inside as he clasped her hands and found them chapped and bleeding. “Just because I’ve agreed to go along with your harebrained scheme doesn’t mean I’m giving up trying to get you to leave. If I have to ride out here every night after roundup and help you dig this stuff by moonlight until you have what you consider
enough,
then that’s what I’ll do.”

She looked at him oddly. “I’m not sharing this find.”

“Who asked you to?” He sounded annoyed.

“I just wanted to be clear up front. Joe walked away with the proceeds from Gramps’s silver mine. He also stole a blue cameo that belonged to my mom. The only thing I had of hers. I was gullible once. I won’t be twice.”

“Hey—not every man is like your crummy ex.” Jake could see from the distrust in her eyes that Hayley didn’t believe him.
Too bad.
He didn’t like being painted with the same brush as the jerk who’d let her and his baby go.

Striding to his horse, Jake yanked the cinch tight. Climbing on, he whistled for Charcoal to heel. “If you ever wake up and discover that people are worth more than money, you can find me at the Triple C.”

She looked very small and alone standing in the middle of those rock trays she wanted so fiercely to protect. Jake figured she must not have heard that opals were supposed to be bad-luck gems. However, that wasn’t something he’d ever mention, since it would only diminish her delight in her find.

The bottom-line truth—he might be peeved enough to leave her to her stubborn pride for now, but he would never do anything to hurt her.

He hadn’t ridden far before he gained control over his anger. He’d been unwilling to admit to Dillon or anyone—not even himself—that Hayley had gotten under his skin. He could no longer deny that she had. She was entrenched good and deep. At the moment he didn’t know how to go about convincing her of that. It nagged at him the entire ride home.

W
HEN
J
AKE ARRIVED HOME
, he discovered that his mother had left work early to barbecue for the family. “To celebrate midpoint in the fall roundup,” she informed him as she urged him to hurry and unsaddle Mojave. His dad, brother and sister-in-law were already gathered outside around the barbecue pit.

“I see you got Charcoal back,” Dillon observed after Jake had showered, changed clothes and joined his family.

Jake, who’d stewed all the way home about the shabby way his dad and Dillon had treated Hayley, grabbed his brother by the shirtfront. “I’m sorry my dog didn’t bite you at Hayley’s camp, you sorry excuse for a man. Those bully tactics you guys used on her don’t set well with me.”

Ever the self-righteous older brother, Dillon roughly broke Jake’s hold. “Watch it. This is a new shirt Eden bought me.”

“Boys! What in heaven’s name is wrong?” Nell’s gaze skipped from her older son to her younger. “Stop squabbling this instant.”

“We’re not boys,” Jake snapped, never taking his eyes off Dillon. “And men don’t run roughshod over women.”

Looking confused, Nell sent a silent appeal for help to her husband.

He popped the lids off two beers and shoved one into each of his son’s hands. “Cool off, Jacob. That was Triple C business and I handled it as tactfully as possible. So happens, it’s just as well I did. Westin formed a committee to go meet with the governor. If he endorses their proposal to seize the land, I foresee bigger problems than we have now. John talks a good game, but he’s splitting the co-op. I have some pull with state environmentalists, and I’ll call on them if necessary. I thought it only fair to give Ben’s granddaughter a neighborly warning.”

“She said you gave her a two-week ultimatum to come up with a strike or else. That sounds stronger than a neighborly warning.”

Wade shrugged, but he denied nothing as Nell stuck a long-handled fork in his hand and asked him to turn the steaks. “Could we forget about water and mining claims for tonight and enjoy one another’s company? You men are heading into phase two of the roundup, and by next week, Eden and I will be inundated at the shop with the start of tourist season. Who knows when we’ll get time together again?”

Eden slipped her arm through Dillon’s. Smiling at Jake, she edged her husband toward the screened porch that held a table set for six.

Dillon poked Jake. “Looks like these sneaky women have found you a date for tonight,” he chortled. “Who’ll it be, I wonder? My money is on the unknown quilter.”

“Mom!” Jake counted the table settings twice before he strode toward his mother.

Eden gave Dillon a rap on his arm. “It’s nothing, Jacob. Lisa Clover is someone Nell and I met and liked. She’s in town for the arts-and-crafts fair. We wanted to show her some Southwestern hospitality, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh!” Jake didn’t buy into Eden’s too-pat explanation. But it was too late to beg off. Twin headlights turned into the lane, slicing through the gathering dusk.

“Be nice,” cautioned Nell as she and Eden headed around the house to greet their guest.

“You’re in for it now, brother.” Snickering, Dillon ducked the foamy beer bath Jake attempted to douse him with from a well-shaken bottle.

The women returned. Nell introduced her friend. Lisa had shoulder-length auburn hair and direct blue eyes. She wore layers of loose clothing—obviously an artsy type. She’d brought a cold twelve-pack of beer and a set of handmade coasters for Nell. Cleverly quilted ranch scenes. A thoughtful gesture, Jake decided. But he wouldn’t have sat next to her at the table if the choosing had been up to him. Eden had handled seating arrangements, and Jake didn’t feel like making a fuss that would hurt her or their guest.

As it turned out, Lisa was easy to talk to. Part-way through the meal, though, Jake started to think about Hayley spending the evening alone at her camp. At least he
hoped
she was alone and that she wasn’t entertaining iffy visitors. He grew quiet once he’d dispensed with the usual opening subjects. He found himself picturing Hayley in place of Lisa at tonight’s gathering. She wouldn’t be nearly as confident or as chatty.

The others at the table began to notice his one-word responses. Nell and Eden shot puzzled looks his way. Nell finally rose and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Come help me serve up the apple pie and coffee, Jake.”

Eden and Lisa both offered to lend a hand. “No, no.” Nell stayed them with a glance. “I haven’t seen Jacob lately. We’ll get in a few private words while we’re preparing dessert plates.”

Dillon waggled his eyebrows, announcing at large, “Uh-oh. Jake’s in for it now. Mom’s about to deliver lecture number 199 on company etiquette.” Eden silenced him with a kick under the table, but not before their guest followed Jake’s departure with bewildered eyes.

Inside the kitchen Jake waited for the lecture to begin. He knew he’d dropped the ball out there. All his mother and Eden had expected of him was that he’d make this friend of theirs feel welcome. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with Lisa Clover; it was just that his mind happened to be stuck on another woman.

Nell moved the pies to the table, found a knife and plates. Jake had played out this routine enough times in his life to automatically cut slices of cheddar for the top of each pie slice. That accomplished, he counted out forks.

“Lisa is considering renting the vacant shop next to ours permanently after the craft fair.”

“So she said.” Jake popped the first two pie wedges in the microwave and turned it on low, long enough to soften the cheese.

Nell sighed loudly. “She’s nice, don’t you think?”

Jake turned and caught her looking exasperated. “You and Eden must’ve already determined that or you wouldn’t have invited her to dinner.”

“Jacob Cooper, why are you being so obstinate?”

“I’ll give our guest the first piece of pie.” Jake whipped the two plates out of the microwave, added forks and hurried out to the patio. His mother was slapping slices of pie on the remaining plates when he returned for another batch.

“You know perfectly well I wasn’t talking about your company manners, Jacob.”

“Maybe you ought to quit pussyfooting around and spell out what you mean, Ma.”

“All right. Lisa is bright and funny and talented. She’d settle here with a bit of encouragement. And don’t call me Ma. You know I detest it.”

Jake didn’t say anything. He delivered the next two pieces of pie. As he made his way back, his mother busily covered the leftovers in the pie tins with foil. Their two slices sat awaiting cheese. Clearly he hadn’t heard everything she had on her mind.

“Dillon said you haven’t asked anyone to the harvest dance yet. Lisa happened to tell Eden that she loves to dance.”

“I haven’t asked anyone, but I have someone picked out.”

“Who?” Nell wouldn’t be put off. “Eden and I hear all the gossip in town. All the single girls are already spoken for.”

Jake turned his back. He studied the number pad on the microwave as the carousel went around. “I’m going to ask Hayley Ryan.”

“A stranger? Why, Jacob? She’s frustrating your father and the others in the co-op over her silly mining claim.”

Jake leveled a glare over his shoulder. “What she’s digging out there isn’t silly to her. It’s important. She has no family left, Mom. And…and…Hayley’s pregnant.”

Nell stifled a tiny gasp. “Pregnant? Where’s her husband?”

“He walked out on her, remember?” Jake’s jaw tightened. “She shouldn’t be there alone in her condition. Near as I can tell, she hasn’t got a thing for the baby. I intended to ask you to visit her. She claims she’s consulted a doctor in Tombstone and is following the advice in some booklet he gave her. I thought you might talk to her. Find out if she’s overdoing things, what she needs—you know.”

The carousel had stopped rotating, but neither Nell nor Jake made a move to retrieve the pie. Nell’s throat worked. At last she croaked out, “Jake…I…you…we really shouldn’t get involved. We don’t know anything about this woman.”

Jake hooked his thumbs in his belt, his stance belligerent. “I’m not hungry for pie, after all. See if Dillon wants an extra piece. I’m hitting the sack early.”

He was crossing the living room by the time Nell rallied. She stepped to the center of the arch and called out, “Jake, this is foolish, arguing over an outsider like this. Think about what you’re doing. Ben worked that claim every summer. He never found anything of value. Besides, Hayley Ryan will leave at the first frost. Jake, you’re opening yourself up to get hurt.”

“I just asked you to be neighborly.
She’s
the one who’s hurt. Her ex even stole the one thing she loved most, a blue cameo that belonged to her mother. And you’re wrong. Hayley’s made a strike. She doesn’t want it spread around, but she found opals.”

Nell digested that as he disappeared and the door behind her opened.

Eden joined her mother-in-law. “We’re almost finished with our dessert. What’s keeping you and Jake? Why were you two shouting? And who found opals? Are they jewelry quality?”

Pursing her lips, Nell spun and plucked the last pie wedges from the microwave. “That woman at the spring has apparently led Jake to believe she’s unearthed something at Ben’s old claim.”

“Jake’s so gullible. I’ve never heard of opals being mined in Arizona.”

Nell gazed toward the door through which Jake had escaped. Her eyes went soft. “Maybe not. But I’ve suddenly decided I want to meet this Hayley Ryan. You don’t know Jake like I do, Eden. For years I’ve watched girls and women chase him. This is the first time I’ve detected more than a superficial interest on his part. Since he and Dillon fought over you, that is,” she added with an affectionate grin. “Because I tend to see both my boys through a mother’s prejudiced eyes, I’d welcome a second opinion. What do you say? If we can break away early one day, would you run out to the spring with me to check out the Ryan woman?”

“Certainly. If for no other reason than to debunk her phony claim. Although there
have
been veins of opal found in Mexico,” Eden mused thoughtfully.

“Jake said to keep the news under wraps. I know you share everything with Dillon. But until we know for sure what we’re talking about, I’d like to respect Jake’s wishes and keep this between us. I have a feeling Wade would try to talk me out of going.”

“Sure. Okay, I have no problem honoring Jake’s request for secrecy. And, Nell—I didn’t mean any disrespect in calling him gullible.”

“I know. I prefer to think of him as tenderhearted. In this case, however, gullible just might be a better word. Eden, he told me Hayley Ryan is going to have a baby.”

“What? Not his?”

“No. She’s Mrs. Ryan, but her husband took a powder.”

“Wow. This is heavy-duty stuff. Is she looking for a sucker, you think?”

“I don’t know. At this point I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. From what Wade’s said, Jake’s invited her to the ranch and she’s refused to leave her mine. That doesn’t sound like someone trying to take advantage.”

Eden swiveled toward the door as Dillon pushed it open. “Hey, ladies. What’s the holdup? Your guest is making noises about going home.” He withdrew, leaving Nell and Eden to exchange frowns.

“I’d planned to suggest Lisa spend the night,” Eden murmured. “Probably pointless, huh, given how we’ve struck out with Jake?”

“Seems like it. However, she doesn’t know the roads and they can be quite confusing at night. I do feel responsible for her.”

“Dillon and I’ll lead her out. We can stay at the shop tonight. He might be late for the second phase of roundup is all.”

Nell smiled. “Then Jake will have to oversee things until Dillon puts in an appearance. It’ll do him good. Maybe take his mind off Mrs. Ryan. I might put a bug in Wade’s ear about giving Jake more work to keep him occupied, too.”

“Roadblocks, Nell? Did you do stuff like that to slow down Dillon’s romance with me?”

“Not at all. The way he and Jacob quarreled, I knew one way or the other you’d end up in the family. In fact, I counted on it.”

“Jake was never serious,” Eden said.

“No, but he thought he was. Which is why I’m sticking my nose into this Ryan situation. Jake’s getting antsy about living under our roof. He’s going to build on his acreage. When a man’s that ready to settle down, he doesn’t always make his choices with a clear mind. And he sure seems obsessed with this Mrs. Ryan.”

“Too bad. Lisa would have been so perfect. You with your pots, me with my jewelry, and her making quilts.” She sighed. “You’re right. We need to find time soon to visit Mrs. Ryan. If Jake’s in the nesting mode, he’ll completely forget about family compatibility.”

“My fear exactly.” Nell collected the two plates. “So it’s set. Next week we scope out the enemy camp.”

M
ONDAY, AFTER
D
ILLON
had left the shop and headed for the ranch, Nell announced to Eden that she was going to knit a baby blanket before they called on Jake’s pregnant nomad.

“Aren’t you afraid that’ll give her the wrong idea? I thought you wanted to discourage her involvement with Jake.”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into me, Eden. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking how Jake said she didn’t have a thing for her baby. I remembered some of the stuff we learned about her when Wade and I went to Tombstone. She lost both her parents at an early age. Ben took her in, but he was gone prospecting a lot. And her husband absconded with her inheritance. Knitting her one blanket is not like I’m giving her a key to the ranch or anything. Call it a goodwill gesture. I think I can finish one by Friday, if I knit while my kilns are firing.”

“I’ll keep Friday afternoon open. I hope we don’t run into Jake while we’re there. What if he rides in off the range to pay her a visit?”

“He won’t. Wade put him in charge of branding strays. The south range is a catacomb of arroyos. He’ll be tied up well into September finding them. I intend to get a handle on this woman way before then.”

Eden nodded and started back through the connecting door into her shop. “So is the baby a boy or a girl?”