Weathered Too Young (21 page)

“Slater!
Tom!” Katherine cried, collapsing into Slater’s alluring embrace.

Lark bit her lip as jealousy mingled with empathy.
The sight of another woman being held in Slater’s arms caused a scream of heartbreak to rise in her throat.
She gritted her teeth to keep it silent
,
however, as her own eyes filled with tears as Katherine began to sob mournfully.

“I can’t believe this, Slater! I just can’t believe this!” she cried.

“I know, darlin’. I know,” Slater said, his voice low and comforting.
“But you done right comin’ to us,” he whispered softly into her hair.
He kissed the top of Katherine’s head and held her as she continued to sob.

Unable to endure the jealousy or sadness washing over her, Lark looked to see the children alighting from the coach.
They rather spilled out—tumbled over the stairs and up onto the boardwalk.
A little girl, the image of her mother, immediately clasped the hand of a small, delightfully impish-looking boy. An older boy positioned himself behind them—protectively.
No doubt this elder brother had taken on the role of protector in his father’s absence.
He was tall, yet his youthful good
looks revealed his tender age.
Lark remembered having been told he was about twelve
,
and he looked it—save the worry and sadness around his eyes.

Tom hunkered down in front of the little girl and boy.

“My goodness!” he exclaimed.
“This ain’t little Charlie, is it? Why
,
it can’t be! You’re darn near as big as me!”

The toddler giggled with pride and threw his arms around Tom’s neck.
Tom stood, chuckling and tousling the tike’s hair.
He glanced down to the girl then.
“And this can’t be Lizzy, can it?” He let out a long whistle. “My, my, my! You’re the spittin’ image of yer
mama when she was little, sweet
heart! Yer a beauty, darlin’’.

Little Lizzy blushed and threw her arms around Tom’s waist. He patted her back lovingly
and
then offered a hand to the older boy. “Johnny. You’ve plum grown up, boy. Didn’t hardly know you. Bet you got all the girly hearts a
-
beatin’ like crazy in Sunday school class, don’t ya?”

“Naw,” the boy muttered shyly, taking his cousin’s hand and giving it a firm, manly shake.

Lark’s thoughts were that of discomfort and anxiety.
She didn’t belong here.
This was family.
She didn’t belong.
Still, she remembered her resolve to remain brave and determined.
Thus, she glanced away from Tom and the children a moment—to Slater and Katherine.

Slater still held Katherine, smoothing her hair and kissing the top of her head repeatedly as she cried.
Lark felt a moan of agony threatening to leave her throat
,
for she’d never known anything so painful as watching another woman linger in the arms of the man she loved.
Still, she gritted her teeth once more, straightening her posture in an endeavor to endure.

Slater glanced over at her then, winking at her with reassurance—but reassurance of what?
That Katherine would recover and they’d soon be on their way back to the ranch?
That he understood she was uncomfortable and wished her to know that she had no need to worry?
Whatever his reassuring wink was meant to convey, it did not change the fact that Katherine Thornquist was wrapped in Slater’s arms—and Lark was not.

“I’m sorry, darlin’. I wish I could bring him back for you,” Slater said.
Lark was further moved to her own tears as she saw the moisture heavy in Slater’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry.”

Katherine’s sobs only increased, and she tightened her embrace.

“This here’s my pretty friend,” Lark heard Tom announce to the children. She turned once more, forcing a friendly smile to her face when she saw the three children staring at her.

“Hello,” she greeted.

The children stared—Johnny and Lizzy from where they stood
and Charlie from his place in Tom’s arms.
She almost smiled when she saw Charlie’s small fingers travel to the back of Tom’s neck to begin nervously fiddling with his hair.

“Who’re you?” Charlie asked.

“I-I’m Lark,” Lark stammered.
“I cook and keep house for Slater and Tom.”

Charlie smiled. “I think you’re pretty,” he said.

“Me too,” Lizzy agreed.
Lark glanced down to see Lizzy smiling at her.
The girl stepped forward, taking Lark’s hand in her own. “Do you live at the ranch house too?” she asked.

“Yes…I do.”

“Our pa died,” Lizzy bluntly offered.

Lark’s heart was tearing in two
.
The poor babies!
How frightened they must be—how terribly frightened!

Instantly, she knelt down before the girl. “I know
…
and I’m so sorry.
My daddy died too…a long time ago.”

Lizzy nodded
and
smiled at Lark again.

Lark reached up, brushing a strand of hair from the little girl’s face.
“So we’ll be good friends.”

“Because we understand?” Lizzy offered.

“Yes…because we understand,” Lark assured her.

“I’m Johnny,” the older boy said, offering a hand to Lark.

Lark smiled
,
standing and accepting his hand.

He shook hers firmly and announced, “I’m the oldest and plum capable of takin’ care of things.”

Lark nodded.
“I can see that.
I’m sure you’ve been a great comfort to your mother.
I’m certain she’s very grateful for your help.”

Johnny nodded
,
and Lark’s smile broadened
,
for there was a bit of his cousin Slater in his demeanor—something self-reliant and somewhat impatient.

At last, Katherine gently pushed herself from Slater’s arms. Dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief, she turned and offered a small, gloved hand to Lark.

“Forgive me. I’m just…I’m just not myself these days.
Katherine Thornquist. I didn’t intend to be so impolite,” she said.

Lark accepted the woman’s hand and smiled at her. “I’m Lark…and please don’t concern yourself with proprieties, Mrs. Thornquist.
And please know that I’m so very sorry for your loss.”

Katherine nodded, dabbing more tears from her eyes, and said, “Thank you, Lark.
Thank you…truly.”
Katherine smiled at Slater
and
then Tom.
Tom set Charlie down
,
and Katherine threw herself into his comforting embrace
,
lingering for several long moments—but not as she had with Slater.

“At least I’ve got these dear ones to come
home
to,” she said
,
placing a tender gloved-hand to Tom’s cheek.

Tom kissed her forehead.
“We’re plum tickled to have you
…
and you know it, Katie,” he said.
“We ain’t happy about the circumstances…but we’re glad you’ve come to us.”

The stagecoach drivers had unloaded
Katherine
’s trunks from the top of the coach.
Slater slapped Johnny on the back and said, “You look might
y
strong, boy.
Why don’t you help me get these trunks over to that wagon yonder
?
”
He nodded toward the team and wagon waiting in the alley across the street.

“Yes, sir,” Johnny said.

“Al
righty then…let’s get it done.”

“Slater’s a might concerned about the weather, Katie,” Tom explained.
“Do you need anything from the
g
eneral
s
tore before we head for home?”

Katherine
forced a smile.
“Lizzy and I will simply pay a visit to the powder room inside, if that’s all right.
Otherwise, we have what we need.”

“Then we’ll get the wagon loaded and ready,” Tom said.

Tom reached into his pocket and withdrew a silver dollar.
“Lark, honey,” he began
,
handing the dollar to her, “why don’t you distract Mrs. Gunderson a bit…buy the children a licorice whip or somethin’ so that Kate don’t get trapped into too much conversation
?
”

Lark smiled, delighted by Tom’s thoughtfulness.
“That is a very wise notion,” she told him.

“I’ll keep Charlie out here with us, Katie,” he said.
“You let Lark go on in first.”

“I’d be in there for an hour!”
Katherine
whispered to Lark.
“And I don’t really feel up to…to…to talkin’ about…”

Lark laid a hand on
Katherine
’s arm.
“You just freshen up
,
and we’ll get home and settle everyone in.”

Katherine
smiled, though her eyes were filled with pain and trepidation.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Thank you.”

Lark nodded.
However, inside she was boiling with conflicting emotions.
Why did
Katherine
have to be so kind and vulnerable?
Why did her children have to be so adorable?
There was no way Slater could not be entirely captivated by them all—especially
Katherine
.
But what could be done now?
Nothing
. S
he simply had to endure whatever the situation afforded.

Inhaling a deep breath of resolve, Lark entered the
g
eneral
s
tore, returning Mrs. Gunderson’s wave.
“What’s all this?” Mrs. Gunderson asked.
“Is that Katie Thornquist?”

Yes
,
it looked as if it would be quite a chore to distract Mrs. Gunderson long enough for
Katherine
and Lizzy to visit the powder room.

“Yes,” Lark began, approaching the counter and lowering her voice, “and I’m afraid she’ll just melt if you ask her about it now, Mrs. Gunderson.
You see…she’s lost her husband.”

Mrs. Gunderson gasped, and Lark laid the silver dollar down on the counter.
“I’ll explain…but I need three licorice whips…”

Mrs. Gunderson nodded, listening intently as Lark explained—as she eyed the silver dollar on the counter and wrapped three licorice whips in white paper.



Slater leaned back against the
wagon, watching Lark as she ex
ited the
g
eneral
s
tore with Katherine
and Lizzy.
His mouth watered as he studied her, and he swallowed the excess moisture of desire.
No one could say Slater Evans was lacking in self-control
.
Nope
,
n
o one!
It had taken near every bit of strength in him to keep from her—to keep from simply throwing his brains to the wind and having her.
Still, with every passing day he wondered how long he could keep his desires restrained
,
his feelings a secret.

He couldn’t keep the amused grin from spreading across his face as she approached.
She looked so darn adorable in that little slicker he’d bought for her—good enough to lick.

She smiled as she approached
him
.
“Mrs. Gunderson felt so bad about Katherine’s husband,” she said quietly, “that she gave me seven licorice whips instead of three.”
She unfolded the length of white paper in her hand, stripped out a long piece of licorice
,
and offered
it
to him.
“I know how you like them.”

Slater’s mouth watered—but not for want of the licorice.
“Why
,
thank you, baby,” he said, accepting the length of candy.

“Will you sit in the back with me?” Lizzy asked, taking hold of Lark’s hand.

Slater wanted Lark on the wagon seat with him.
Sti
ll, he knew Katherine
would want to talk on the way home.
Lark would be more comfortable in the wagon bed with Tom and the children—and warmer. It had become profoundly important to Slater that Lark be kept warm.

“Of course,” Lark said, though he sensed she was uneasy.
Perhaps she was worried about being cold—though he liked to think s
he was perhaps jealous that Katherine
was already climbing up to the wagon seat.