Sagebrush Bride (36 page)

“Katie?”
Elizabeth gasped, her hand flying through her hair, smoothing it nervously away
from her face.

Katie
smiled. “I jus’ wanned to show you somethin’,” she whispered loudly, her eyes
big and round, as though to emphasize the secrecy of her visit. She came
forward slowly. And with her eyes fixed on Elizabeth, she offered her hand,
palm-up.

In
it, to Elizabeth’s shock, was a small locket she immediately recognized. She
fingered it reverently, sinking to her knees to put herself at Katie’s eye
level. She lifted it from Katie’s small hand, swallowing the knot that appeared
in her throat, and gazed at it dumbly for a long moment. Slowly she opened it
to find two small portraits encased within. Katherine... and herself. As she
gazed at it, bittersweet memories assailed her. Tearing her gaze away from the
locket, she found Katie staring at her expectantly.

“Where
did you...” Elizabeth choked on her words. “Oh, Katie... ”

“For
you,” Katie whispered, delighted with her gift, as well as the tender
expression she’d gleaned from her new aunt. “My granmommy gave it to my mommy,
and then my mommy gave it to me when God tol’ her she was gonna go to heaven.”
She lifted her chin, winking one eye so sweetly that Elizabeth’s heart ached
for the loss she was accepting so bravely.

“Oh,
Katie, are you certain? This is so special. Maybe your mommy meant for you to
have it.”

“Well...
if you take me home,” she suggested in a sweet whisper, “then we could share.”
She lifted her hands as though to say, you see how easy it could be?

“Of
course,” Elizabeth replied, her heart breaking with every gesture Katie made,
every word she uttered. “And we will.” Moisture shimmered in her eyes. “We
surely will.”

“Cause
my grandpapa says he’s too tired anymore,” Katie revealed matter-of-factly, and
Elizabeth’s heart twisted again. “Right?”

Elizabeth
swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes, and thank you, Katie.” She held up the
locket. “I’ll treasure it always.” She searched in vain for the right thing to
say, but nothing else came to her. From downstairs, Miss Mimi’s voice called
out, and Katie’s eyes grew instantly wide.

“Don’
tell!” she urged in an anxious whisper. “Granpapa says you was tired an’ that
you was gonna sleep... and he tol’ me not to bother.” She lifted a hand up and
shook it daintily. “But I didn’t bother... so don’ tell... all right?” She
looked so unsure of herself that Elizabeth had to smile.

“All
right,” Elizabeth agreed, closing her fist against the cool silver of the
locket. “I won’t tell.”

Katie’s
dark eyes sparkled, and with an enormous grin, she suddenly turned and scampered
from the room, forgetting to close the door in her haste.

Slowly,
cherishing the moment, Elizabeth turned to find Cutter watching her intently.
He was leaning casually, one shoulder on the wardrobe, his stance easy. But he
said nothing, and his narrow-eyed look sent a tingle down her spine. What must
he think of her? As he continued to scrutinize her, she felt a deep sense of
shame for the predicament they’d been caught in. By Katie nonetheless!

Not
for the first time, she wondered what was wrong with her that she forgot
everything, including to breathe, in his presence? What had happened to all the
caution and good sense her father had instilled in her? Cutter made her so weak
with only a look, and she shuddered inwardly at the thought of his lips on her
own. And then her gaze was drawn to the bed, the only bed in the room, and she
nibbled nervously at her bottom lip.

“That
certainly was close,” she said abruptly. Cutter didn’t reply beyond lifting a
dark brow, and her embarrassment turned quickly to annoyance. “About tonight,
Cutter... I don’t think we should... we should...” Lord help her, but she
couldn’t say it. She watched as Cutter’s jaw set, and felt a quivering run the
length of her.

She
tried again. “I wouldn’t expect—well, that because I’m a woman, I should
have the bed...” Her gaze was drawn to the wooden chair, and she winced,
thinking of how uncomfortable it would be to sleep there. But then, the only
other recourse... would be pure heaven, she admitted, if only to herself.
Still, it wasn’t right, and she wouldn’t shame herself, or her sister’s family,
by sleeping with a man she wasn’t wed to. “I’ll sleep on the chair,” she
concluded, nibbling gently at her lip. “You can have the bed.”

With
a curt nod, Cutter lifted himself off the wardrobe. “I see,” he said, his eyes
smoldering as he came forward. “It’s all right to share the half-breed’s roll,
but not his bed?” Shaking his head in disgust, Cutter stalked past her, giving
her a narrow-eyed glance as he passed by. He jerked open the door and stopped.
Without turning back to her, he said, “Don’t bother with the chair. You’re
welcome to the bed!” He wanted to add that he wouldn’t be back, but the words
wouldn’t come. And in his frustration he realized that that was the crux of it
all; he knew he would return. He slammed the door as he walked out, leaving her
standing in stunned silence behind him.

There
wasn’t a muscle in his body that wasn’t tightly coiled with fury as Cutter
leaned forward upon the fence, clutching it wrathfully, yet he hoped he managed
to look casual as he gazed out into the endless fields. Wheat, he thought.
Acres and acres of it. He squeezed the wood until it made raw imprints in his
palm. The sun was just beginning to set, and the grasses swayed gently with the
breeze, the golden-brown tips blending against the golden light of the sky...
The scene was as quietly seductive as she was.

Hell,
he should have seen it coming.

So
why hadn’t he? He shook his head in self-disgust.

“Get
yourself in trouble with the little missus?”

Hearing
Elias’ voice, Cutter stiffened abruptly, the tiny hairs upon the back of his
neck standing on end. Willing the tension out of his body, he straightened and
turned his back to the fence to find Elias Bass sauntering toward him, grinning
knowingly. He leaned back and crossed his ankles, assuming a negligent stance,
glancing briefly at the house, then back. “You might say that,” he conceded
ruefully.

Elias
chuckled and halted before him, crossing his arms.

Again
Cutter broke eye contact—long enough to tuck his volcanic emotions
away—and then returned it. He couldn’t afford for Elias to see his
anger—Elizabeth couldn’t afford it, he corrected himself. Since when had
he taken a personal stake in this? “I believe she’s afraid we made a poor first
impression,” he said.

“And
you?” Elias prompted.

Cutter
shrugged. “I think she’s already half in love with your granddaughter,” he said
bluntly. “And she’s scared to death you’re gonna change your mind—that
you’re gonna disapprove of us for some odd reason.” He watched Elias’
expression meticulously, taking in the guilty color that immediately suffused
the man’s face, and swore silently.

Elias
nodded. “You’re real direct, McKenzie, aren’t ya?” He glanced down at his boots
abruptly and kicked the ground, then again met Cutter’s gaze. “Well, I like
that,” he announced.

Cutter
only nodded. Sure he did... He liked it—but! Damn, he could almost feel
the word as though it were suspended between them. A tangible thing. He braced
himself for the sound of it.

“About
that odd reason, McKenzie... I’m glad you came down.” Elias turned his back to
the fence and dragged himself atop it, settling down upon the top slat next to
Cutter and hooking the heel of his boots over the bottom rung. He sighed
heavily, looking weary. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

Once
again the hair at the back of Cutter’s neck bristled. At his right side, his
hand curled into a fist. There it was—he could sense it coming. It was
all in the tone of Elias’ voice, and he swore again; at himself for believing
it could be otherwise, at Elias Bass for proving Elizabeth right—and at
Elizabeth for walking into his damned life to begin with! His gaze shifted
abruptly to Elias, his eyes narrowing, his heart hammering, his gut twisting
violently. Elias was watching him studiously. Checking himself, Cutter took a
moment to shut away his emotions, and then asked quietly, “You got a problem
with that reason, Bass?”

Again
there was silence as both men stared, measuring each other.

“No,”
Elias replied after a somber moment. His brows rose in question. “Have you got
a problem with it, McKenzie? Now, hold on a moment before you go off
half-cocked!” he added when Cutter’s brows collided fiercely. He held a hand
out between them. “I believe I’ve got a right to that answer! Katie’s my only
granddaughter! Honest to God, McKenzie, I ain’t got no argument with
you—don’t care what you are!”

Cutter
straightened abruptly to his full height. “What I am-”

“Just
allow me to finish! What you are does affect my granddaughter, and we both know
it. I care too much about her not to take this up with you! Seems to me you’re
a decent man. I ain’t blind—I know what I saw between you and Elizabeth
upstairs, and that’s good. It says a lot! But I just need to know that you
ain’t got a chip on your shoulder—that you know what you’re getting
yourselves into—what you’re getting my granddaughter into!”

Just
needed to know? No buts? Shutting out the tiny jolt of elation he felt at what
he wasn’t hearing, Cutter forced himself to settle back against the fence and
cross his arms. He could hear the plea in the old man’s voice. Never releasing
Elias’ gaze, his jaw remaining taut, he was afraid that he was mistaking Elias’
meaning.

Elias
shook his head gravely, choosing his words cautiously. “I gotta know she’s
gonna be all right, McKenzie—that you’re gonna take care of her... that
you ain’t gonna let them get to her.”

There
was no need to clarify who them was. Both knew. Still Cutter didn’t reply. A
muscle ticked at his jaw, though he wasn’t certain it wasn’t out of simple
giddy relief. No buts.

“You
see, I know,” Elias began carefully, meeting Cutter’s gaze unflinchingly. “I
know how vicious folks can be.”

Cutter
relented with a nod, acknowledging Elias’ right to be concerned. He glanced at
the house and disclosed quietly, “It’s been a long time, Bass, since anyone’s
done any name calling...” His gaze returned to Elias. “To my face or otherwise.
Still, I can’t promise you how other folks are gonna be. Though I can assure
you I will handle it. And... ”He glanced away abruptly, unable to look Elias in
the eye as he spoke the rest. “She’ll have a good and loving home.” It was the
truth, he knew—with or without him in the picture.

“Well,”
Elias replied, “I-”

“Granpapa!
Granpapa—wait for me! I gotta tell you somethin’!”

The
front door slammed discordantly in the distance. Both Cutter’s and Elias’ gazes
jerked toward the sound of Katie’s exuberant voice. Each watched her
enthusiastic approach with an odd mixture of relief and frustration.

Cutter
was the first to tear his gaze from her. He shook his head, suddenly recalling
her earlier interruption. “She always have such rotten timing?” he asked
bluntly, though his lips were on the verge of a smile.

His
face broke into a wide, lip-splitting grin as he turned to face Cutter,
mischief sparkling in his eyes. “Always,” he swore emphatically.

Just
then, Katie reached them. She glanced up at them, scrunching her nose in
disgust. “Aunt Lizabeth’s gotta get a bath!” she exclaimed in disgust. “Why
does Miss Mimi always wanna give everyone a bath? Me—Shifless!” she
enumerated. “Now Aunt Lizabeth!”

Elizabeth
was taking a bath.