Whatever Tomorrow Brings (The Californians 1) (17 page)

"This pie is good, sure you won't have any?"

"I'm not a baby, Rigg. If you need to tell me that I'm fired, please just say it," Sean said with quiet dignity.

you really have worked yourself into a mood, haven't you?" Sean looked at Rigg for the first time. "I think you're doing fine Sean, and if you're going to do a good job this afternoon, you need some lunch." Sean caught the apple Rigg tossed him and ate it in silence. He didn't refuse any more of the food that was passed his way and, miraculously, found that he did feel better.

Rigg hoped that Sean would share what was on his mind but he didn't. They returned to the mercantile. Sean prayed and took a deep breath before going into the back room. Joe was already there and his first words were a criticism.

"You're late."

Sean said nothing.

"Get that crate unloaded and out with the rest of the sugar-on the shelf where I showed you."

The next hour passed in a similar fashion. Sean said little and Joe reprimanded him nonstop. Sean stopped at one point and simply stared at Joe.

"I said, put that sack over there!"

For the first time he didn't move to do Joe's bidding.

"What's your problem, Donovan?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Don't give me any trouble Donovan, or I'll clean the floor with you."

"I don't think you will." Sean's voice had gone very soft and, unbeknownst to himself, his look menacing. "Now, I'm going to do my job here for the rest of the afternoon as best as I can. If you've got some problem with that, then you're welcome to go get Rigg. If he's not happy with the job I'm doing then he can fire me, but I want you off my back."

The older boy hesitated. He could see that he'd clearly pushed too far. Silently both boys went back to work. The atmosphere was no more friendly, but at least Sean was able to work in a semblance of peace.

"Okay, Sean, here's your pay."

"Already?"

"Every Saturday night at closing."

"Thanks," Sean breathed as he fingered the coins in his hand. Rigg watched him and suddenly felt choked up. To see the boy, you'd think it was a fortune. But this was his first job and Rigg remembered again how good it felt to be paid for a day of work.

Rigg found himself just as choked up when Sean went straight to his sister and turned the money over to her, once they'd reached the Taylor farm. Bill and the boys were not yet back from the shipping office so Kaitlin, Sean and Marcail had a chance to talk with only Rigg and May present.

"How did it go?" Kaitlin wanted to know.

"Fine. I made mistakes but I think I'm getting the idea."

"Good. I prayed for you."

"Yeah, Sean, we remembered you at lunch."

"Thanks Marc."

"Did you have enough to mail the letter?"

"Yes. I put the change with my wages."

"Good. I wrote to Aunt Maureen today. We can mail that letter Monday."

Kate's attention turned from her brother and, even though Rigg was talking to his mother, she had the feeling he'd been watching her.

He had invaded her thoughts at the most unusual times today. When she'd been working with May and Marcail she had actually wondered what type of cookies he liked. She had stopped just short of asking May and humiliating herself.

The Taylor men piled in shortly after that, and Kaitlin helped May put supper on the table. She decided that feeding this many men was a costly chore. After the prayer Kate watched a huge platter of fried chicken disappear, along with mashed potatoes, green beans, fried biscuits, turnip greens and two pitchers of milk. She had no room for the apple cake that was served with coffee after the meal.

May asked Gil, Nate and Sean to help with the dishes and everyone else moved to the living room. Rigg sat on the sofa and Kate took a chair across from him. She watched as he beckoned to Marcail with one finger. Marcail snuggled into the sofa next to him as if she'd been doing it all her life. Kate was amazed.

"I brought you something."

"You did?" The little girl's eyes grew wide as she watched Rigg draw a snow-white hair ribbon from his pocket.

"This is for me?" Marcail almost squealed, and Kate smiled.

"Yes ma'am," Rigg told her, and watched as she looked to Kaitlin for approval. Kate smiled at her and she hugged the thin strip to herself.

"Thank you, Mr. Riggs."

"You're welcome, Marcail," he answered and then turned a challenging eye on Kate. "I'd like it if you called me Rigg. What do you think about that?"

"That's fine with me, if it's fine with Katie. Is it fine with you Katie?"

Bill had to hold his paper a little higher to hide his smile. Rigg was digging himself into a hole, and fast.

Kate opened her mouth to say something but closed it. That Rigg was testing her was almost more than she could take. He had backed her into a corner and she came out fighting like a teacher. She ended up addressing Rigg as though he were a child.

"I am not used to having my authority questioned, Mr. Riggs. I feel I've already compromised my conviction by allowing Sean to call you by your nickname. As I told you before, Marcail and I will call you Mr. Riggs, and if my sister continues to question me, I might have to punish her."

You asked for that Rigg and you know it, were the convicted man's thoughts. What he said out loud was, "I'm sorry Marcail. Your sister is right; I shouldn't have done that."

"That's all right. I still like my ribbon."

Marcail was off the sofa in the next instant and headed toward the kitchen to show her gift to May. Kate looked over to see Jeff taking it all in as though watching players on a stage. He grinned at her and Kaitlin couldn't take anymore. She mumbled something about needing air and went out the front door.

"Shame on you Rigg," Bill spoke softly when the door had latched. "Why do you bait the girl?"

"I wish I knew," was the tired reply. "I guess I'd better go apologize." Rigg stood up and Jeff couldn't keep from staring at him. He'd never seen his brother like this.

"Why don't you let me go?"

When Rigg's features washed with relief, Jeff followed Kaitlin to the front yard.

She had walked toward the copse of trees that stood tall and green on the south edge of the Taylors' land. Jeff caught up with her just as she reached the creek's edge. His feet broke a fallen branch and Kate started.

"Oh, Jeff, I didn't hear you approach."

Jeff could see that he'd frightened her.

"Sorry to scare you."

"I'm all right."

"It's pretty out here isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Very nice," Kate agreed.

"It was a great place to grow up. We had such fun in this water. Not every kid lives on a creek. Most people don't know what they're missing."

"You're certainly right, growing up by the water is a little piece of heaven on earth." Her voice was so wistful that Jeff stared at her face and knew she was thinking of Hawaii. He glanced down at the stream of water at their feet and began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Kate wanted to know.

"Oh, just me with my little creek, telling you how wonderful living by the water is, when you probably swim like a fish!"

Katie laughed with him then. "I do swim, that's true. And your creek is not the Pacific, but it's still beautiful. Actually, it isn't really Hawaii that I miss, but the people, and knowing that my father is there without my mother."

It didn't matter that Jeff had no words to say to that; he knew none were needed. After a moment, they talked of little things and then Jeff mentioned Rigg.

"He certainly enjoys seeing me upset," Kate said, feeling flustered all over again.

"He enjoys you period."

"Sure he does."

"I'm serious, Kate. You can't believe how many women have been interested in Rigg over the years-more than I can count. He's just never met anyone that he felt he could get serious about."

Kate was looking at Jeff with such amusement that he stopped.

"What?"

"Don't you see, Jeff? I am evidently one of the few girls who hasn't thrown herself at his feet and he can't stand it. Somehow that makes me a challenge and it hasn't taken me more than a few meetings with Mr. Riggs to know that he loves a challenge."

"Oh, Kaitlin!" Jeff sounded truly distressed but all Kate did was chuckle. "That's utter nonsense. You can't really believe that?"

"And why shouldn't I? You were sitting in the living room tonight-enjoying everything that went on, I might add. You can see for yourself that I'm just a plaything to your brother." Kate's voice suddenly became very serious. 'And if I can speak honestly with you, Jeff, it's the last thing I need. I have feelings and no one likes to be laughed at. My world has come apart at the seams in the last few months. I find myself playing mother to my brother and sister and falling way short of the mark.

"So your brother's actions are just insult on top of injury. You tell me he's a man of God. Well, you can understand why I have a hard time believing that. He brings my sister a present and then challenges my authority right in front of her. If he's such a man of God Jeff, can you tell me why he treats me like that?"

"Jeff can't tell you, but I can."

Kaitlin spun around so quickly that her dress flared. Rigg stood less than ten feet away and Kate knew the time for confrontation had come.

twenty-six

"I heard a little bit of what you said to Jeff, Kaitlin. Is there anything you want to add?"

Kate couldn't say anything. She wasn't really embarrassed, just wary of confrontations. She also knew that the thoughts she shared with Jeff should have been said directly to Rigg. Jeff tactfully left them alone, and the silence between them lengthened.

The sun was beginning to set; it was a little darker beneath the trees and the breeze had picked up, sending a cool draught against Kaitlin's bare arms. Crossing her arms in an effort to keep warm, she finally broke the silence.

"Even though it's hard for me to face you, I'm rather glad you came out when you did, or I would probably never have talked to you.

"I meant what I said to Jeff but I should have said it all to you. You couldn't be more kind to Sean and Marcail, but you treat me so strangely. One minute you're tender and the next you're ordering me about as though you owned me.

"I'm not a child, but neither do I have the wisdom of the ages, and I just don't know how to handle this underlying animosity between us. In another circumstance I would just keep my distance from you, but with Sean living with you and me staying temporarily with your folks, that's impossible.

"If I've done something or am doing something that is offensive to you, I'd be more than happy to clear the air. And I know I've said a lot but there's just one more thing. I hope that anything between us won't affect the way you treat Sean and Marcail. I know they like you and it's so hard to be here without our folks, I just hope that-"

"Kaitlin." Her name, softly spoken in his deep voice, brought her to a halt. He came close enough to touch her, but did mt.

"I've been so wrong in the way I've treated you. Will you please forgive me?"

"Yes," she said immediately.

"I'll try not to be so bossy with you, but please understand that you and Marcail gave me quite a scare on Friday. In my mind, leaving you at that house would have been like leaving an infant in the snow. You had no money or food or even sufficient blankets for the bed. I was afraid you would refuse me so I ordered instead of asked.

'As for the other-the teasing-all I can say is that I'm not myself with you. We got off to such a bad start. I mean, right away you didn't like me, and I wanted you to like me. And not just because I let your brother live with me. Am I making any sense to you?"

Kate nodded. "Thank you for telling me. It clears up a lot. So much has happened to bruise my emotions, and my mind never goes more than an hour all day without wondering where my Father is and if he's all right.

"What I need right now is friendship. I hope you'll understand when I tell you I can't handle anything more than that."

"I do understand, and I hope you'll consider me a friend."