Promises Prevail (The Promise Series) (57 page)

“Women always cry.”

Clint had to give the boy credit. He had his sneer down to an art form. Still he was going to have to debate the point.

“Not my woman.” He licked the side edge of the paper to seal it before twisting the ends. “I like my woman happy and content.”

“A man should not fear a woman’s tears.”

Clint struck the sulfur. “He shouldn’t go courting them either.”

The boy had the grace to flinch and looked through the window. Clint followed the trajectory of his gaze. It led straight to where Jenna sat at the table, toying with the rim of a plate, her expression heavy with worry. As he watched, she bit her lip, and a tear slid down her cheek.

He took a drag on his cigarette, his insides twisting at the sight. Damn he liked her smile better. “I want to thank you for bringing Bri to her.”

“I knew she would not turn her away.”

“No, she wouldn’t.” Clint took another drag, blowing the smoke out in a lazy stream. “I also want to thank you for not kicking up a fuss when she claimed you, too.”

“It wasn’t necessary.”

Clint looked the boy over, from his lean frame to his too old eyes. If anyone needed Jenna’s warmth, it was this hard-edged boy.

“I know that, just like I know her fussing annoys you, but she has her heart set on you being her son, and she’s just treating you the way she would her own.”

Red shoved his hands into his pockets.

“It’s not bad when she’s cooking me something.”

Clint chuckled. “She does know her way around an oven.”

Red cut him a glance. “I didn’t ask her to talk to you.”

Now there was a loaded opening.

“I never thought you did.” He flicked the half smoked cigarette into the dirt. He was doing better with his quitting.

“She shouldn’t have done it,” Red muttered.

“Son, she can’t help wanting to protect you anymore than you could help wanting to protect her.”

“You won’t beat her?” Red rubbed Danny’s ear as if the answer didn’t interest him much.

Clint figured it wasn’t a good idea to let the boy know he’d threatened her with it. For all his nonchalance, the kid was a keg of dynamite ready to explode.

“I hadn’t planned on it. Especially now that I’ve got you and Danny dead set against the idea.”

“It would break her spirit if you beat her.”

“She’s stronger than you know.”

Red shook his head. “She would shatter under your hand.” He turned those too old, too wise eyes on Clint, suddenly looking all man. “She loves you.”

“She thinks she does.”

It was an unsettling experience to be pitied by a kid, even if it was only with a look.

“If you are ever so foolish as to hurt her, I will kill you.”

He believed him. “If I ever sink so low, you have my blessing.”

Red nodded at the window. “You need to stop her tears.”

Clint looked. That single tear had burgeoned into a torrent.

“The only thing that’s going to do that is if you and I come back in smiling.”

Red sighed and glanced through the window again.

“Some things were easier when I was alone.”

“Yeah, but I bet the grub wasn’t nearly as good.”

Red pushed to his feet. “That is very true.”

He wiped his hands of the seat of his pants.

“What will you tell her?”

“The truth. Things are settled between us, and instead of a week of being ranch-bound, you’ve got two days and extra barn chores until Sunday—when you get back from Asa’s.”

Red stood there and suddenly he was all uncertain kid, faced with an emotion he didn’t know how to handle. He rubbed his hand on his skinny hips.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t be thanking me until you see the shit-load of crap I’ve been putting off getting to.”

“It won’t matter.”

Clint knew it wouldn’t. The boy had integrity and drive. And he loved that horse.

“I’m going to need a promise from you, too.”

The wariness returned immediately to Red’s eyes. As if he knew that there had to be a catch to anything good that happened in his life. That wariness tore at Clint’s insides as much as Jenna’s tears. Maybe he really was going soft.

He put his hands on the kid’s shoulders, amazed at how lacking in muscle they were. Red just gave the impression of mass.

“Don’t withhold information from me again. Not when it concerns, Jenna, Bri or yourself.”

Red shrugged out from under his hand and grunted.

“Is that a promise or your stomach acting up?”

“I promise.”

“Good, because McKinnelys work together, not against each other.”

Red didn’t have anything to say to that. Clint mentally sighed. Getting Red settled into the family would take time and patience. He glanced through the window. Jenna had stopped crying, but she still looked worried. That, he could do something about.

“You ready to go make Jenna smile again?” he asked Red.

He thought the kid would balk when he opened the door, but he didn’t. He walked straight through, and when Jenna caught his eye, Clint answered with a nod, Red didn’t flinch away from her hug. He even patted her awkwardly on the back, which had Jenna promptly bursting into tears. Red stepped back in horror.

“I’m sorry.”

Clint shook his head and tucked Jenna into his side. “These are happy tears, son. Nothing to do but ride them out.”

Red didn’t look any less appalled with the explanation.

“If you could see to Bri and eat your dinner, I’ll take care of this.”

Red bolted for the table.

Against his chest, Jenna sniffed. “I don’t think he could get out of here fast enough.”

“McKinnely men don’t tolerate tears well.”

She wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I’ll try to toughen up.”

He wiped her face with the towel that was sitting on the edge of the Hoosier cabinet. He had to use his finger to wipe off the smear of flour the towel left.

“How many times do I have to tell you? I like you just the way you are.”

She turned fully into his arms. “Even though I cry at the worst times?”

“I’ve gotten used to it.”

Her laugh choked on a sniff. “Thank you for talking to Red.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I gotta tell you, Jenna. That’s a hell of a boy you brought into the family.”

“You like him.”

He nodded, brushing a hair off her face. “He’s going to be a hell of a man.” And a hell of an enemy for someone.

He didn’t tell Jenna that though. She had enough to deal with, and she wouldn’t understand the drive a boy felt to avenge the death of his mother. He also didn’t tell her the boy had threatened to kill him. She wouldn’t understand that, either.

Another hiccough shook her.

“C’mon, Sunshine. Don’t cry.” He kissed her hair, wiping at her damp cheeks with his thumb. “It tears me up.”

“The McKinnely weakness?”

He looked at her red eyes, tear-wet cheeks and mussed hair.

“Yes.”

He tilted her face and brushed the tear from her lashes with his lips, the salty flavor spreading through his mouth. She was beautiful through and through.

“Damn, I’m going to have to beat the men off with a stick next Saturday at the social.”

Her lashes fluttered against his lips as she asked, “We’re going to a social?”

“You sound scared?”

“I’ve never been to one.”

“Then it’ll be my pleasure to take you to your first.”

“I don’t know how to dance.”

“Another first for us to share.”

“I’m not good in crowds.” She plucked at a button on his shirt.

“You just have to be good with me.”

Her fingers slid under the flap, soft and warm on his chest.

“I could say or do something stupid and embarrass you.” Her nails dug in, teasing his senses.

“I could behave like an ass and embarrass you.”

Her fingers were still on his chest, just inches from his nipple. She looked up, her eyes wide.

“You never embarrass me.”

He turned them slightly so that the boy couldn’t see.

“And you never embarrass me, so I guess that means we’re set for the night.”

“I don’t have a dress.”

“Guess you’ll have to spend my money then.”

“There isn’t time to get one made up.”

He kissed her nose. “Then throw more money at the problem.”

He ran his fingers down the prim row of buttons on her dress, pressing in as he went so that the deep valley between her breasts was revealed. Son of a bitch, he’d love the privacy to rip that dress open and bury his face between those soft mounds.

“Just don’t make it too low-cut. I don’t want to spend the night beating awestruck men over the head with chairs.”

Her chuckle was as soft as her touch.

“You think men are going to be interested in me?”

He smiled at the wheedle in her voice. He considered it a real step up in their relationship that she felt comfortable enough with him to fish so obviously.

“There’s going to be a line out the door waiting to dance with you. But,” he didn’t have to work to find a frown, “I don’t want anyone but me shining their belt buckle with you so you practice saying ‘no’ every way you can between now and then.”

The thought of another man anywhere near her drove him nuts.

She patted his hand comfortingly.

“I’ll practice, but I don’t think you need to worry.”

He touched the shining length of her bright gold hair. He’d had a hard enough time keeping men away from her before they married, but now that she was beginning to find her feet, that inner light that so warmed him was shining brighter and brighter, drawing more and more attention to her gentle beauty. He touched the strand of hair to her full pink lips. She was all shiny light and deep heat, his Jenna.

“Ah baby, if you think that, you’ve got one hell of a surprise coming.”

He tugged the strand of hair, tilting her head back. As she looked at him, a question in her light blue eyes, he took her mouth deep and hard, thrusting his tongue past her surprised gasp, tasting her sweetness. Her willingness. The truth.

It didn’t matter how many men came at her. At the end of the night and every other night she’d be going home with him. And no other.