The Courting of Widow Shaw (20 page)

Glory returned to her kitchen duties, setting out plates on the table, readying for the meal. Within just seconds of his arrival, the back door burst open and she turned to find Steven standing there, looking slightly rumpled with dust layering his clothes. As his gaze flowed over her, she noticed the deep lines of fatigue at the corners of his eyes. He stared at her with intensity, assessing her from top to bottom, then darted a glance at the stove, peering next at the table she’d set for their meal.

“Everything all right?” he asked, finally.

She had a good deal to tell him, but later, after he’d cleaned up and had something to eat. “Everything is fine.”

He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

Glory glanced through parted curtains and watched Steven discard his dusty shirt, remove his undershirt
and wash up in the water barrel outside. Water dripped from his hair onto his chest, spreading out into droplets that coursed the breadth of his upper body and finding camouflage in the spiky hairs that covered his bronzed skin.

Glory drew oxygen deep into her lungs.

It wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen a bare-chested man before. On occasion, she’d seen Boone that way, but in her mind there was no comparison. Steven’s shoulders were broader, his arms more firmly defined with muscle and his chest more powerful. Glory knew she should turn away and ignore the sensations rippling through her, but she hadn’t the will to do so.

She continued to watch him cleanse his body, wiping his face with his shirt, then rub his skin over and over, drying himself. Then, without warning, he turned toward the window and caught sight of her watching him. Their eyes met and he froze, the hand holding onto his shirt stilled in midair. The only movement she noted in that brief moment was the slightest parting of his lips, the faintest hint of a smile emerging.

She jumped back from the window. Heart pounding, her hand flew to her chest. “Dear Lord.”

Mortified, Glory wished the ground beneath her feet would part in two and swallow her up. She had trouble breathing, panic and embarrassment warring within her. Rapid heat swamped straight through her, bringing heat to her throat and cheeks. She ran her hands down her face, searching for an excuse, a reason to explain to Steven why she’d been spying. But there was no explanation she could offer. Steven would know the why of it, no matter what sort of
reason she could manage. She decided to leave it be and pretend it didn’t happen.

Yes, that’s what she had to do. A true gentleman wouldn’t bring up the matter. This would be testimony to Steven Harding’s true nature.

By the time Steven entered the kitchen smelling fresh and clean and wearing a different shirt, Glory’s nerves were raw. She fidgeted while setting out the meal, unable to look him in the eyes. She poured coffee into mugs, portioned out the stew, sliced up the potatoes, all without glancing once at Steven.

She served up his dish in a hurry and turned away, but his hand reached out for hers, managing only to grasp her wrist. He held on gently. “Glory?”

“Hmm?”

She blinked and stared down at the food.

“Why is Buddy here?”

She nearly died with relief. “Oh, uh, Merry came out for a visit today. She asked a favor of me, us… I mean, you. She asked if Buddy could stay on at the ranch.”

The pup had been resting by the warm stove and Glory had almost forgotten he was there. Apparently it was the only thing on Steven’s mind at the moment. “I didn’t have the heart to refuse. She’s leaving Virginia City soon and thought it best to leave him behind. I know I had no right—”

“You had every right.” He spoke so surely, with such resolve that Glory ventured a look at him.

“Merry is a friend to both of us. If keeping Buddy will help her, then it’s settled.”

Glory nodded and took her seat. “Thank you. She said to say goodbye.”

“You did a good thing for her.”

She shook her head. “No, the decision was hers to make.”

Steven took a bite of his food and chewed thoughtfully. “You helped her heal, Glory. The healing was mostly on the inside. You gave her courage and hope for a better life.”

Glory wouldn’t comment. Steven had just about admitted that entertaining men at Rainbow House was
no
life for a woman. Glory wished she could make the others see that. She wished she’d been able to convince them all to leave prostitution behind in favor of something more respectable, but who was she to pass judgment when her own life was in such shambles? Small wonder why the women hadn’t taken heed of her advice.

And Steven, too, would never make that admission. To do so would be to admonish his mother and the only way of life he’d known while growing up.

“Did everything go all right with the horses?”

Steven lifted his head and grinned. “Better than I’d hoped. Two of the mares will foal come summer and Black Cloud will do his best with the other mares to, uh…” Steven cleared his throat and Glory blushed from the images flashing in her head.

“Black Cloud is the stallion?” Glory asked, once she found her voice again.

Steven nodded. “He’s a beauty. I’ll show him to you later on. Now, tell me all about Merry’s visit.”

Glory braced herself, an uncanny feeling settling in her stomach knowing she’d have to tell Steven about Ned’s visit to Rainbow House. She knew Steven would have questions. Glory did, too. The two brothers hadn’t been that close, yet Ned seemed to take
Boone’s death to heart. He’d blamed her for his brother’s death.

Glory couldn’t shake the feeling that Ned would love nothing more than to see her hanging from a rope.

After dinner, Steven stepped out of the house to check on the horses. The night air refreshed, and a cooling spring breeze lifted his hair from his collar and ruffled his shirtsleeves. He leaned on the corral fence unable to wind down just yet. Excitement stirred in his belly at the prospect of finally seeing his plans come to light. He had a ranch house very nearly built, a corral full of horses, a barn full up with hay and chickens in the henhouse. Hell, he even had a dog now.

But he realized it wasn’t enough.

Something had been missing.

And it hadn’t taken long for him to recognize what that hollow emptiness meant.

He’d found out the moment he’d rushed through his kitchen door today, seeing Glory bent over the stove, stirring up his meal. Damn, he’d half expected her to run into his arms with a warm welcome home. He’d stared at her, in her newly sewn dress—a dress that matched the curtains in his kitchen—as if to say she belonged right there, as part of his home.

For a quick second, Steven had believed it so. Warmth swelled in his chest until, like a blissful dream you’d never want to end, he’d finally woken up.

He banished the fool notion from his head and blamed his bout of melancholy on fatigue. He’d raced home as quickly as the string of horses he’d led would
allow, a burgeoning need to see Glory driving him hard. It had been a fruitful day, but Steven hadn’t truly enjoyed his success until he’d walked through the door today to find Glory safe and sound at home. He’d worried over her all day, wondering if anything might occur at the ranch while he was gone. Luckily, Glory had shared a pleasant day with a friend.

And they’d both gained one curly-haired apricot pup.

But a nagging thought plagued him lately. If Glory hadn’t taken that knife to her husband, and Steven was certain she hadn’t, then someone else had killed Boone Shaw. What of Glory and the injuries she’d suffered under her husband’s brutal hand? Had someone killed Boone in an effort to protect her from that attack? Or had someone wanted both of them dead?

None of it made much sense.

But Steven vowed to delve into the matter, especially since the latest bit of news about Ned Shaw’s visit to Rainbow House left him with more doubts and questions.

“So that’s Black Cloud?”

Glory’s soft voice gave him a start. He’d been too deep in thought to notice her approach. She stood beside him at the corral fence, staring at the stallion.

Steven swept a quick look around the premises, wary of having Glory outside in the open, though he knew that most likely nobody would ride out to his place after sundown.

“That’s Black Cloud,” he said. “He’s just about the finest piece of horseflesh in the territory. I paid a hefty price for him, but he’s well worth it. He’ll sire his share of great quarter horses.”

“And you’ll breed these horses to sell?”

Steven nodded. “There’s big demand for good cow ponies. This breed of horse has the stamina and endurance for working a herd. They’re fast and agile. With the gold and silver strikes in the area, and more people flowing into the cities, the need for beef is high. The cattle ranches are growing in size, too, and a good quarter horse is worth a lot to a ranch. I plan on buying another dozen or so, getting a few more stallions. By this time next year, I hope to have all the corrals filled. Maybe I’ll have to build another barn.” Steven smiled at the prospect.

He turned his back on the stallion to lean against the corral fence, his shoulders braced on a railing. “You did all right today, Glory.”

She laughed bitterly. “I panicked and went for the gun the minute I saw someone coming my way.”

“That’s what you should have done. You didn’t know it was Merry coming for a visit.”

Glory shuddered, her trembling clearly visible. “I don’t know if I’d ever have the courage to use the gun, but I felt less vulnerable for having it.” She let go a long troubled sigh. “This is all so unbelievable. A few years ago, all I wanted was a nice home and a family. I wanted children, many of them,” she whispered into the night, as though the notion was far from her reach. “Now, I’m hiding from the law and reaching for guns. Everything in my life has changed, and I can’t do a thing about it.”

Steven scrubbed his jaw, his fingers riding over the rough stubble of a two-day beard. “I know it seems that way now.”

It was small consolation to a woman whose entire life had been twisted into a tight knot of desperation.

“I don’t know what’s to become of me. And you,
Steven. It isn’t fair of me to jeopardize all of this,” she said, gesturing out with a sweep of her hand. “Your ranch, your dreams, everything you’ve worked so hard for. If we get caught, you’ll go to jail, too.”

Unshed tears filled her eyes, but she spoke with such firm resolve, Steven’s gut clenched. “Nobody’s going to jail, Glory.”

He put as much resolve in his tone as she had, but he had nothing to back up his statement, no way of reassuring her. She remembered nothing of that night. She might believe she killed Boone, but Steven no longer thought that to be the case.

“You can’t say that, Steven. You don’t know what will happen in the future.”

“I have a pretty good idea. You’re gonna have those children you want one day, Glory. You’ll see. And all of this will seem like a bad dream.”

Glory shook her head, a frown marring the perfection of her face. “That doesn’t seem possible now. I mean, the children. And as for the bad dream, I’m afraid I’m already living it. But I don’t have to include you in my hardship.”

“What does that mean?” Steven didn’t like her tone and he experienced something close to fear as he noted the firm, stubborn set of her chin.

“I can’t live with this any longer. Your obligation to me is over. You’ve done your part. You saved my life and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I can’t stay here forever. I can’t allow you to sacrifice everything for me. Tomorrow, I’m going back to Virginia City. I’m going to turn myself in.”

Boldly and with purpose, she strode toward the house, leaving Steven to stare after her. She’d shocked him. Steven couldn’t let her go. He couldn’t
imagine Glory being tossed into jail, or worse, being strung up for a crime she didn’t commit.

I can’t stay here forever
.

Yet, that’s exactly what he wanted. He realized it now. He wanted to come home after a trying day and find her there, just like he had today, blending in so beautifully with all of his dreams.

He wanted to take her into his arms and comfort her, making her forget all the bad things in her life. He wanted to make love to her, until their bones ached and their hearts sung. He wanted Glory, without a doubt.

The realization dawned without much surprise. He’d been fighting it for weeks now, his head battling his heart. From the first moment he’d witnessed the brutality laid upon her the night he found her surrounded by flames, the minute he’d looked at her bruised face, her body beaten so badly he could barely stand it, Steven had been done for.

Without his knowing it, she’d taken his heart that night.

There may be no future for the two of them, no hope for anything lasting, but he wouldn’t allow Glory to make another mistake. It would be on his conscience, because all of her troubles had begun when she’d lost her father and secondly, because he’d vowed to protect her.

He caught up to her in three long strides. Reaching out, he gripped her upper arm and turned her to face him. “I can’t let you do it, Glory. You’re not going back to Virginia City.”

She closed her eyes. “I have to, Steven.”

The plea in her voice tore him up inside.

“No, not yet. You said that you can’t stay here
forever. Honey, it’s only been a few days. Is this place so horrible that you’d rather rot in jail?”

Glory’s eyes flashed with surprise. “No, of course not. This is a beautiful ranch, Steven. But you deserve to be free of me so that you can work here, without fear of repercussion from the law. Don’t you see, that’s why I can’t—”

“Yes, you can.” Steven tightened his hold on her. “I’m a grown man, Glory. I know what I’m doing, what I’m risking. But you’ve got to trust me and trust yourself. Give it time. You might remember something. And while you’re waiting for that to happen, you’re safe here. I promise.”

A small smile played at her lips. “Steven, that’s an impossible promise to make.”

He smiled back, seeing her lips curving up as a good sign. “I never make a promise I can’t keep. Trust me, Glory.”

She swallowed, and contemplated for a long moment. Then finally she nodded. “I’ll stay a little longer, Steven.”