Claiming the Cowboy's Heart Read online

  “The Arabian Nights.”

  “You’re familiar with the stories?”

  “My father used to read it aloud.” He hadn’t thought of that for years. At one time, Pa would read aloud every night during the winter. Stories of adventure in a different time and place. When had it stopped?

  The answer came readily. After Frank’s death.

  All day he’d been fighting the memory but could no longer push it aside. He was fourteen, Frank sixteen. Seth’s long-time friend, Sarah, had caught Frank’s attention and the two of them had been acting silly all afternoon. But when Frank teased Sarah to slide on the thin ice of the river, Seth had begged them to be sensible.

  “Life is too short to waste on rules and cautions, little brother,” Frank had called as he ran onto the ice and skidded a good distance. “This is fun.”

  “Sarah, don’t go. The ice is too thin,” Seth had said, wanting to yank Frank back to safety.

  “It’s holding Frank okay.” Ignoring his warning, she’d raced after Frank.

  Seth had hovered on the bank, longing to join them but knowing the dangers.

  He’d heard the crackling of the fragile ice and called out a warning but Frank and Sarah only laughed and continued their merriment. Then suddenly Frank had broken through the ice. Sarah, chasing after him, had fallen in, too.

  A shudder raced through him as the horror of that day returned to his memories. Oh, how he’d tried to erase it from his mind. He’d succeeded in burying it so deep he thought it would never surface. But today proved how futile his hope for forgetfulness was.

  Frank and Sarah had screamed Seth’s name. Their panicked voices echoed through his head and he closed his eyes, which did nothing to stop the pictures playing in his head.

  He’d grabbed a branch that lay at his feet and raced to where they’d broken through. His feet had moved like lead. His legs had refused to make the speed he wanted. Every yard had seemed an eternity. Sarah had clung to the edge of the ice. He couldn’t see Frank and then he’d bobbed up.

  “I’ll get you. Hang on.” He’d flung himself on his belly and wriggled forward, holding out the branch before him. As soon as Sarah could reach it, he’d called out to her to grab it. “Lay as flat as you can. I’ll pull you out.” The ice dipped toward the hole and water crawled toward him. Would they all drown in the murky water? He’d toed himself more firmly in place.

  Inch by inch he’d pulled her to shore and threw his coat over her before he went back for Frank.

  But Frank had disappeared. Seth called his name over and over. He’d jabbed at the hole. In desperation he’d yanked off his boots and dove into the cold water. The shock had numbed him clear through. He’d opened his eyes underwater, tried to find his brother but saw nothing. The current tugged at him. He’d surfaced before it sucked him away. So cold he could barely function he’d somehow managed to pull himself out of the hole. He didn’t recall getting himself and Sarah to the house. Only the emptiness of returning without Frank. And the shocked look on his parents’ faces.

  Frank’s body was found three days later, caught on a log downstream. The same day that Sarah had died of pneumonia.

  The emptiness had stayed, a permanent, unwelcome guest that consumed their home. Consumed Ma and Pa, too, and took residence in Seth’s heart.

  Never would he forget how he’d failed. He had done all he could but had been unsuccessful in taking care of those he loved.

  He realized Jayne was speaking and jerked his thoughts back to the present.

  “Eddie read them to me, too, when I was much younger.” She adjusted his pillows, straightened his covers. “Are you comfortable?”

  He almost caught her arm as it passed over his chest. If he had something to hang on to he might be able to escape the awfulness of his memories. Instead, he pushed them back, deep inside, and slammed a door to keep them at bay. But like wisps of black fog, the remnants of horror lingered. Sooner or later, he knew, they would dissipate. He steadied his voice. “Reasonably so.”

  “Very well.” She drew the chair close and began to read the story of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.”

  Her voice soothed him, filling him with happy memories of life before Frank had died. He drifted pleasantly on her words. When she finished he couldn’t lift his eyelids, even when he heard her whisper, “Good night,” before she slipped away.

  What a crazy couple of days it had been. Shot. Rescued. Cared for by the hands that shot him. No one would ever believe that. It was as if God had played a role in orchestrating it.

  God! He couldn’t imagine that God cared one way or the other what happened to Seth or most of the people he met. The Almighty sure hadn’t cared about saving Frank or Sarah from drowning. Or how his death had affected their ma and pa. And even Seth.

  But Jayne had suffered a painful loss, too. And she continued to trust God. A smile tugged at his lips. She also fought back, mostly by taking control of life in every possible way—even to shooting a gun, despite the fact no one seemed to care to give her instructions. Except Mercy, and he wondered how valuable her lessons would be. He rubbed at his leg. It didn’t seem she was a very good teacher.

  For the safety of everyone within shooting distance, someone should give Jayne lessons.

  Chapter Four

  Seth wakened as someone stepped into the room. He sat up and stifled a moan at the pain that reminded him why he was in a strange bed in a strange room with a strange man standing at his side. Then his mind cleared and he recognized Eddie.

  “Good morning,” Eddie said.

  “Morning.” The word croaked from his dry throat and he reached for the cup of water Jayne had left on the table beside him.

  “I brought you your things. I was here last night but you were already asleep. Linette wants to check your leg one last time.”

  “Thanks.”

  Linette joined her husband and changed the dressing. “It’s not bleeding but I believe a couple more days rest would be in your best interest.”

  “Thanks. But I have to get going.”

  “We’ll leave you to get dressed, then.” Eddie handed him his saddlebags. “I believe your other things are waiting for you downstairs.”

  “Please join us for breakfast,” Linette added. “Turn right at the bottom of the stairs and the kitchen is at the end of the hall.”

  “Thanks.” He waited until they left the room before he threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. A stark-white dressing covered his wound and would keep it clean until he reached Corncrib. He pulled on his dark gray trousers, and his black-and-white-striped shirt. Putting weight on his leg caused his wound to protest but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t ignore. He tugged on his boots, pulled a comb from his supplies and ran it through his hair then stood tall. There. He felt like a man again. He slung his saddlebags over his shoulder and left the room.

  The stairs were wide and led down to a big door that stood open, allowing a cool breeze to blow through the screen. This was the door he had stumbled through with Eddie’s help yesterday. So much had happened since then that it seemed more like a week ago.

  He paused at the bottom of the stairs to stare at the view. The house overlooked the neat ranch buildings he’d noticed yesterday. Several cowboys crossed toward the nearest two-story house. He gave it all a quick study then lifted his gaze. The view of the mountains caught at his breath. They were gleaming with the morning sun. So big and majestic. So powerful. The words of one of Ma’s oft-repeated verses entered his mind. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” Ma had been devastated by Frank’s death but in spite of it, Seth suddenly realized, she’d remained serene. He hadn’t been able to understand. Was it because of her faith?

  A faith he shared but to a lesser degree. He wasn’t sure God would lend a hand if Seth needed it. He’d called God’s name several times when try
ing to rescue Frank. Where was God then? Or was he blaming God for an individual’s own choice? Was not the individual responsible for the outcome? These were oft-repeated questions to which he could never find a satisfactory answer.

  He turned to his right and strode down the hall. As he passed a room, he glanced inside at the bookshelves filled with books, a large mahogany desk and an oversize black armchair, plus some very nice paintings. One seemed to be a perfect replica of the mountain scene he’d admired seconds ago.

  To his left, he glimpsed a formal-looking dining room that had an empty, unused look. Then he reached the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” Jayne said, smiling cheerfully as he entered. She was probably eager to see him gone. After all, he was a constant reminder that her shooting had been a failure.

  She should be happy he was only slightly injured because of her foolish activity. She might have left a body on the trail. His body. Then who would take care of Pa? Maybe God had been protecting all of them—Jayne, Seth and Pa. He’d study the thought more closely when he had the time.

  The room was large, dominated by a big table. To one side were cupboards and a stove, and on the east side, the rising sun shone through the generous windows.

  The others greeted him. Linette held a small boy before her. “This is Grady. Grady, say hello to Mr. Collins.” The boy held a half-grown gray kitten.

  Seth squatted down to the boy’s level, ignoring the pain in his leg. “Pleased to meet you, Grady. And what’s this fine fellow’s name?” He scratched behind the cat’s ears earning him a loud purr.

  “This is Smokey. He’s a good cat. He never fights with the other cats. Not like Snowball. Snowball is always fighting. He’s got a torn ear ‘cause he fights too much.”

  “Why, it sounds like Smokey is a very smart cat.” The animal pushed against Seth’s hand, begging for more attention.

  “He is. He can climb a tree faster than anybody and he eats slow, like a gentleman.”

  “A fine cat, indeed. I expect he’s good company for you.” He straightened to ease the pain in his leg.

  “Yup. But my best friend is Billy. He lives down the hill with Daisy and Pansy and Neil and his new ma and pa, Cassie and Roper. Mr. and Mrs. Jones,” he corrected as Linette opened her mouth. No doubt she meant to tell him he shouldn’t call adults by their first names.

  Seth’s eyebrows peaked. “Wow. That sounds like a real good story.”

  Linette gave her son a gentle shove toward the door. “Put Smokey outside and wash up for breakfast. Seth, have a chair.” She indicated one next to Jayne.

  He sat. Feeling Mercy and Sybil’s gazes on him, he lifted his head to give them each an inquisitive look. “Did you want something?” he asked.

  Sybil shook her head.

  Mercy leaned forward. “We were wondering how you would explain your—” she tipped her head toward his leg beneath the table “—gunshot wound. Jayne doesn’t think you’ll admit to your friends that a woman shot you.”

  He turned toward Jayne.

  Her brown eyes flashed a teasing challenge. “They might wonder why you let a woman outshoot you,” she said.

  He practically choked. “Outshoot? I don’t think I’d explain it like that. What I’ll say if anyone asks is that I got hit by a stray bullet.”

  Eddie cleared his throat. “There’ll be no more stray bullets. Jayne, I forbid you to continue this foolish endeavor.”

  She bristled like a cat stroked the wrong way. She ducked her head and stared at her plate but her lips pressed together in protest.

  Eddie was right about it being foolish but hearing it from the other man’s lips made Seth want to protest. Why didn’t he teach his sister what she needed to know? It would surely make it safer for everyone on the ranch. He guessed from Jayne’s expression that she had no intention of abandoning her plan, despite her brother’s direct order.

  “Would you ask the blessing, dear?” Linette said, ending the tension between brother and sister.

  Eddie prayed and then food was passed around. Fried pork and eggs, fried potatoes, fresh biscuits and syrup and plenty of milk.

  Seth helped himself. “I heard you were a good cook, Mrs. Gardiner. This certainly proves it.”

  “Thank you. The girls are learning to cook, too. If you were around longer, you would get a chance to evaluate their progress.”

  He pretended a great deal of shock. “I hope their cooking lessons aren’t as deadly as their shooting lessons.”

  Beside him Jayne choked. He had the pleasure of patting her on the back. At first, he got a bit of satisfaction out of her discomfort but after the second pat, he had an urge to pull her into his arms, rub her back and assure her she would be safe because he would personally see to it. Instead, he dropped his hands to his lap. He didn’t need one more person in his life to be responsible for.

  After she stopped coughing and wiped her eyes, she turned and gave him a look fit to cure leather. “I could have choked to death.”

  He felt suddenly remorseful. “I’m sorry. It was a careless remark.”

  She nodded. “Then consider us even. I didn’t mean to hurt you even as you didn’t mean to hurt me.”

  He wondered if she referred to the choking incident or the words he’d spoken the previous day. But it didn’t matter which. He was leaving today and would prefer to go with no ill feelings left behind. He nodded. “Agreed.”

  Conversation around the table turned to more general things—plans for the day, who was going where, what needed to be done.

  His nerves tensed when Eddie asked Jayne what her plans were.

  “I wanted to explore a bit more.”

  Seth relaxed. It sounded like a safe activity. He’d be in no mortal danger as he rode away. And may God have mercy on any strangers riding nearby if Jayne meant to continue with her plans.

  Again he wondered why Eddie didn’t simply give her a few lessons. Surely that would soon satisfy her.

  When the meal ended, Eddie pushed from the table. Seth pushed back, too.

  “Thank you for your hospitality. I’ll be on my way now.”

  Linette favored him with a sweet smile. “We understand but you’re always welcome at Eden Valley Ranch.”

  That’s when he recognized the name Gardiner. Eddie Gardiner and his wife were well spoken of in the western ranches. “I’ve heard of this place.”

  “You have?” Linette asked. “I hope it’s been good things.”

  Eddie wrapped his arm about his wife’s shoulders. “What else would he hear?”

  “It’s been good,” Seth assured them. “You’re known to offer hospitality to all, regardless of race or social status. People say Mrs. Gardiner nurses the sick, helps the poor and Eddie here is considered a man of honor and integrity.”

  “That’s lovely,” Sybil said.

  “We’re honored,” Eddie added.

  Seth leaned back on his heels and grinned. “I heard a tale about feeding a starving Indian family and outrunning wolves. Is it true?”

  Linette and Eddie grinned at each other.

  Jayne answered his question. “It’s true. My brother refused to hang an Indian who tried to steal a cow to feed his starving family. Instead, he took him meat. On the way back, wolves attacked them and Linette helped beat them off.” She jammed her fists on her hips. “I intend to become just as brave and proficient.”

  Linette reached out and squeezed Jayne’s hand. “And you shall.”

  Eddie opened his mouth but Linette jabbed her elbow into his ribs and he closed it without speaking. Had he been about to reissue his orders to Jayne?

  Instead, he said to Seth, “I’ll take you to the barn. Your horse is there.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Jayne said and no one argued otherwise. Certainly not Seth who looked forward to a private goodbye. “Wait a moment.” Jayne turned aside and brought him his shirt and pants, neatly folded as if they’d come from the best Chinese laundry.

  “You washed them?”

&
nbsp; Mercy didn’t wait for Jayne to answer. “She washed them, mended them and ironed them. Your clothes could not be in better hands.” Her dark eyes challenged him as if informing him that Jayne had many admirable qualities.

  He wasn’t about to argue. No doubt she did, but shooting wasn’t one of them any more than was being bullheaded about it.

  “Thank you. I didn’t expect this.”

  She tipped her head to one side and lifted one shoulder. “I doubt you expected to be shot by a woman, either.”

  He choked on a startled laugh.

  Mercy and Sybil chuckled.

  “Jayne, there’s to be no more shooting.” Eddie sounded like he was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.

  As the three of them traipsed down the hill, he heard Jayne whisper beside him, “You can’t order me around.” No doubt she hadn’t meant for anyone to hear her. Seth worried that things might get a little tense between her and her brother if they kept up the way they were.

  Grady shouted from the doorway. “Papa, I’m coming, too.”

  Eddie turned to wait for him. “You two go ahead.”

  Jayne and Seth continued onward. He shoved the barn door open, and a cowboy nodded a greeting as he saddled a horse.

  Seth found his horse in a nearby stall and grabbed his saddle and bridle that hung in the tack room. He noticed they’d been cleaned until they shone. He hadn’t expected that kind of service.

  The animal, too, had been groomed until his coat shone. Someone certainly knew how to look after things.

  As he lifted the saddle into place, his leg spasmed painfully. It was only a gunshot wound, he reminded himself. Not much more than a flesh wound. Nothing to slow him down.

  He led the horse through the door, Jayne at his side.

  “I hope you arrive in good time, that the man is still tending your pa and that he is much improved.”

  He smiled down at her. “Thanks. I can’t say it’s been fun but it’s been unusual meeting you.”

  She chuckled. “I dare say it’s the most unusual meeting either of us has had.”

  He nodded, suddenly reluctant to leave. Like that made any sense. But something about Jayne pulled at his thoughts. Of course she did. The woman needed someone to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t get herself into more trouble.