Blue Moon Promise (28 page)

“I hope you’re right,” Lucy said quietly.

Percy came in dragging a chest behind him. He dropped it with a thump in front of Lucy. “Took me forever to find this, Boss. It was in the attic.”

Henry reached over and opened the chest. Inside, shimmering silk dresses caught the sunlight.

Lucy gasped at the glorious array of color and texture. “These are far too grand to wear to cook in.” She fingered a pale pink fabric.

“Nonsense, they’ve been tucked away too long. You heard Percy. They were in the attic not doing a body any good.” He pulled out the dress she had touched. “This will look lovely on you. You might as well surprise Nate when he comes.”

Lucy didn’t have time to argue. “I must get busy. Thank you, Pa. I’ll try to be careful of it.” Holding it away from her soiled dress, she hurried to the spare bedroom. Water stood in the pitcher, so she slipped out of her soiled dress, washed, and stepped into the clean dress. It was only as she began to button up the tiny seed pearls on the bodice that she realized it was the same dress Nate’s mother had worn in the picture in the box in his room.

She slid her hands over the smooth fabric. Would it bother him to see her in this dress? Maybe she should choose another. She bit her lip. There wasn’t time to change. She would barely be ready for the men as it was if she didn’t get started on supper. No, she would just have to wear this one.

Her boots were too muddy to put back on, so she would just stick them on the porch to dry. She could knock off the hardened mud before she went home. In her stockings she padded to the kitchen, depositing her boots on the porch along the way.

Percy stood amid the pots and pans waiting for her. Together they whipped together chicken and dumplings and apple pie using canned apples from the larder.

Percy tasted the stew. “You sure know how to cook, Miss Lucy. It does a body good to eat someone else’s cooking for a change.”

She smiled. At least this was one wifely duty she knew how to do. She spent the rest of the afternoon making biscuits and pies. Just before six the door banged, and she heard the sound of men’s voices. She could make out Nate’s voice amidst the babble, and her heart leapt.

“I’ll set the table.” Percy grabbed a handful of plates and dinnerware and rushed off to the table.

Lucy picked up the pot of dumplings and followed him. The men’s voices stilled when she entered the dining room. Her gaze picked out Nate from the group of cowboys. She didn’t see his father. His laughter died when he saw her, and she couldn’t read his expression. Was he dismayed to see her in it?

“Is that my mother’s dress?” he asked, his voice soft.

“My—my dress was soiled. I fell in the mud when the buggy got stuck.”

“The bad man yelled at her.” Eileen slipped her hand in Nate’s.

He glanced at Lucy, then knelt beside the little girl. “What bad man, sweetheart?”

Lucy hadn’t wanted Nate to know until she was ready to explain it to him—alone.

“Lucy hit him with some mud. He was mad.” Eileen spoke in a confiding tone as Nate lifted her into his arms.

“Lucy, what’s this all about?” Still carrying Eileen, Nate stepped next to Lucy. “Did someone threaten you?”

“A man stopped to help me get out of the mud. I don’t know his name, but he’s the foreman at the O’Brien ranch.”

“Childress.” Nate’s expression darkened like a lowering storm cloud. “Did he touch you?”

Before Lucy could answer, Eileen piped up again. “Uh-huh. But Lucy got the gun.”

“Lucy? What did he do?”

The entire roomful of men seemed to be holding their breaths. Lucy sighed. “He thought I ought to show a bit of appreciation for his help.”

“I see. What kind of appreciation?” Nate’s voice was dangerous, and Lucy shivered.

“A—a kiss was what he had in mind.”

Nate ground his teeth together. “Jed, come with me. We’re riding to the O’Brien ranch.”

Lucy laid a hand on his arm. “Please, Nate, I handled it. I warned him off with the gun.”

“A man like that will be back.” He shook off her hand. “Come on, Jed.”

“Not Jed!” Lucy cried out when her brother moved to go with him.

Nate paused, then nodded. “You’re right. It might be dangerous.”

Dangerous! Lucy’s heart clenched. She couldn’t bear it if something happened to Nate. It was all her fault. She should have told Eileen not to say anything, but she hadn’t realized the little girl had seen so much. She had been sleeping when the man rode up.

“What about dinner?” she called.

“Keep it warm.”

She knew better than to berate him this time. She began to pray that God would keep him safe.

NATE’S MUSCLES WERE strung as tight as a tanning rawhide. His hands gripped the reins, and he urged his horse faster along the muddy road to the O’Brien ranch.

Part of his anger was rage at himself. He never should have allowed Lucy to go out by herself. This was still very unsettled territory. Even O’Brien had only moved into this area last year. Indians still roamed, burning out the occasional settler. He needed to remember he was a family man now. His wife and her family depended on him to make proper decisions. This afternoon’s had obviously been a bad one.

Several ranch hands milled around the corral as he stopped at the hitching post. He dismounted and tied his horse, then motioned for his men to stay where they were while he went to the door. He pounded on it with his fist. Only silence answered his knock. He pounded again, then took a deep breath. He had to stay calm and present his case to O’Brien in a reasonable fashion.

There was still no answer at the door, so he strode to the corral and watched two men working to saddle break a young mare. Peering through the dust and commotion, he finally spied O’Brien leaning against the fence by the barn, watching the action in the corral. Clenching his fists, Nate made his way to O’Brien’s side.

O’Brien jerked his head up in surprise when he saw Nate. “Nate. Margaret isn’t here.”

“I didn’t come to see Margaret.” Nate held out his hand. “I got some business with one of your hands.”

The man regarded him with a sober gaze. “Serious business, looks like.”

“Martin Childress manhandled my wife today.”

O’Brien’s mouth pressed into a straight line and his nostrils flared. “That so? Care to tell me about it?”

“Where can I find him?”

O’Brien cocked an eyebrow. “I fired him this morning.”

Nate gritted his teeth. “Got any idea where he is?”

“Town, most likely. Check the saloon.”

“I’ll check there. I can’t have my wife tormented.”

“Congratulations on your marriage, by the way. I heard you got hitched, and she’s a pretty little thing.” O’Brien grinned and held out his hand.

Nate shook it. “Thanks. I’m a lucky man.” And as he walked back to his horse and mounted, he realized how true that was. How many other wives would have drawn a gun on a man like Childress? And it wasn’t just her fire and spirit that drew him or her exquisite beauty. It was something else, something that was all Lucy. Her fierce caring for her brother and sister, her determination to learn everything she needed to know to be a good rancher’s wife, her moral backbone.

It had thrown him to see her in his mother’s dress. He’d fingered that picture until it was about worn out. Until he’d seen her in Ma’s dress, he hadn’t realized how tiny his mother must have been too. No wonder Pa wasn’t afraid that Lucy wouldn’t make a good rancher’s wife. He was always talking about how Ma had loved the ranch and how the men had adored and protected her.

Lucy had that way about her too. She drew people to her as naturally as bees to flowers. He glowered at the thought of how Childress had dared to touch her. Digging his knees into his horse’s side, he headed to town.

When he reached Larson, he stopped at the saloon and pushed inside. Childress was there, as he’d expected. He was talking to Curly Milton, a ranch owner from the other side of the county.

Childress flushed when he saw Nate and the men behind him. His hand went to his holster, but he paused when Nate pulled his gun first.

“No need for gunplay.” He held out his splayed fingers to show he held no weapon.

“Not this time, maybe,” Nate said. “But I won’t say the same if you dare come near my wife again.” It was all he could do not to grab the man by the throat and throttle him.

Childress laughed, but it was forced and without humor. “I got no reason to seek out the pretty lady, Stanton. I merely stopped to help her out of the mud. If she says I did more than that, she’s lying.”

Rage tightened Nate’s throat. He seized Childress by the collar and hauled him to his feet. “My wife doesn’t lie,” he snarled. “I’m giving you just one warning. Stay away from Lucy.” He turned to the rancher. “This man manhandled my wife, Curly. You don’t want his kind around your pretty daughters.”

The man’s bald head went pink and his brows drew together. “In that case, I’ll take my leave of you two.” He stood and tossed some coins onto the table where they rolled against the plate and stopped.

“Hey, what about my job?” Childress called.

“I’m not interested in hiring you.” Curly clapped his hat on his head and strode out of the saloon.

Childress’s lips drew back in a snarl like that of a rabid dog. “You’ll pay for this, Stanton. You and that so-called wife of yours.” He jerked out of Nate’s grip and ran from the building.

Nate shouted and took off after him, but the varmint had vanished. Frowning, Nate ran for his horse. He would have to be more vigilant with Lucy.

TWENTY-FIVE
 
 

T
he Red River, swollen from spring rains, rushed along beside their picnic spot in a tumble of water and flotsam. Lucy watched as Nate tossed a ball with Jed and Eileen. Since he’d come back from confronting Childress two weeks ago, things had been pleasant between them. Too pleasant. His gaze was admiring and gentle, but it was as though he was waiting on a sign from her. Several times she’d opened her mouth to talk to him about their relationship, then closed it just as quickly.

They had family devotions each night, and Lucy was impressed at the amount of Scripture Nate knew and at the depth of his wisdom. She’d wanted Jed to have a godly role model, and he adored Nate. They attended worship every Sunday, making the drive to town like a normal family. But when she had looked around at the other families who filled the pews, she knew they were like none of them. She longed to be like the other wives, secure in a husband’s love. She looked at Nate playing with the children and smiled. God had been good to them so far. He would bring them the rest of the way to the fulfillment of all he planned for them. She could hold on to that certainty.

Nate’s sandy blond hair fell across his forehead as he laughed and feinted away from Jed. Eileen squealed and threw herself against his leg. A smile tugged at Lucy’s lips. She caught her breath at the wonder of her feelings. For the first time, she loved him as a wife should love a husband. Looking at his masculine arms, she desired them around her. He looked at her, and she felt the heat of a blush on her cheeks. Did he know?

Nate reeled over with Eileen still clinging to him and collapsed on the quilt beside her. He closed his eyes. “I’m beat. We’re supposed to be resting up before starting the roundup tomorrow, but I don’t think this is the way to do it.” He scooted over and put his head in Lucy’s lap.

Lucy ran tentative fingers across his forehead, then lightly touched his thick hair. Nate’s eyes were still closed, and for that she was thankful. She stroked his hair, enjoying the feel of it between her fingers. She didn’t want to think about the roundup. Especially the branding. Her stomach congealed with dread at the thought. But Nate needed all the help he could get.

“What time do we start tomorrow?” she asked.

“I told the boys to meet at the south pasture at six. Lord willing, we’ll be done by suppertime on Wednesday. Since we’re starting so early, Pa suggested we bring Eileen to him tonight.”

“She’ll keep him running.”

“It was either that or he’d insist on helping with the roundup. At least this way he feels useful, and Percy will help him. Eileen will be fine.” Nate sat up and sighed. “I reckon we should be going. Pa is expecting us for supper, and Bessie will be caterwauling to be milked.”