A Kiss for Cade (41 page)

Chapter Fifty-Two

G
rim faces confronted Zoe when the Kolby family sat down for a last breakfast together. Feeling plenty glum herself, she avoided Cade’s gaze as she took a pan of biscuits from the oven. The scent of rain hung in the air as Missy dished up fried potatoes and Holly poured Cade’s coffee. Thunder rolled in the distance.

Cade glanced at Missy and Holly and smiled. “Thank you, girls.”

Despite the girls’ red eyes and the slight quiver in their chins, Zoe thought they had accepted Cade’s decision to leave.

Latching onto Missy’s skirt, he tugged playfully. “Cat got your tongue this morning?”

Zoe shook her head warningly when Missy started to tear up.

He quickly changed the subject. “Sounds like rain’s moving in.”

“We can always use rain,” Zoe said, taking her seat at the table. She reached for Holly’s hand, and the family formed a circle. “Brody, will you bless the food, please?” She bowed her head as Brody said grace. When the amen was pronounced, she forced her mind to go blank. If she allowed herself to think, she would start crying, and that’s the last thing Cade needed.

He picked up a knife and buttered a biscuit for Missy, and then he glanced at Brody. “Haven’t you got something you want to tell Zoe?”

“Cade taught me how to shoot a pistol!”

“Me too,” Will said.

Zoe picked up a bowl of gravy and started it around.

Cade smiled, his glance bouncing back and forth between her and the boys.

“Is that so?” she responded.

He reached under the table and gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze. “A boy needs to know these things. Doesn’t mean he’ll be a bounty hunter.”

Her lips drew into a tight smile. “I suppose that spending your last hours with the children taking a nice walk would have been much too ordinary.”

“That’s how we saw it, wasn’t it, men?”

The boys nodded, stuffing scrambled eggs into their mouths. “It was okay,” Will said. “I hit a bottle a hunnert miles in the air!”

“I hit mine two hunnert,” Brody said.

Cade took a bite, winking at Holly. “I thought the girls could help me tie my bedroll to the back of Maddy’s saddle. What do you say, Holly? Would you do that?”

Holly nodded halfheartedly.

Zoe passed the butter. “Eat your breakfast, Missy.”

“I’m not hungwy.”

“Of course you’re hungry.” Cade lifted her fork and tempted her with a bite of eggs. “Come on, sweetheart, it’s good.”

Shaking her head, the little girl looked at Zoe, her eyes brimming with tears.

“It’s all right if you want to leave the table. I’ll keep your food warm in the oven.”

Missy got up and ran into the bedroom. The family ate in silence except for the occasional ping of a fork scraping a plate, a noisy swallow of milk, or the clunk of a glass being set down.

Zoe choked down her food as the clock chimed eight, sounding like a dirge.

When somebody banged on the back screen door, she jumped as if she’d been shot. Relieved, she noted it was one of Brody’s playmates. “Brody is eating his breakfast, Freddy. You’ll have to come back later.”

“Pop said come and get Cade quick,” the ten-year-old blurted out.

“Cade is eating—”

“Hart McGill just rode in town.” Freddy Henderson jumped on one foot, then the other. “Pop said Cade’s got to come
right now
.”

The mouthful Zoe just swallowed soured in her stomach. “No,” she whispered.

Brody scraped his chair back from the table, tipping over his glass of milk.

Zoe’s heart pounded so loudly she was sure Cade could hear it. Nausea coursed through her in violent waves. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

Cade slowly laid his fork aside and got up.

Her hand came out to stop him. “No…” The plea was a pitiful cry, that of a wounded animal in need of help.

He squeezed her hand before reaching for his gun belt and fastening it around his hips. Tying the leather strap to his right thigh, he faced Brody. “You remember what we talked about this morning?”

Brody nodded, his face as white as the stream of milk running off the table.

“You take the others and keep them in the bedroom until someone tells you to come out.”

Brody’s eyes widened.

“It’s all right, son. You’re the man of the house now.”

“You gotta mind me, Will.” Brody herded Will, Holly, and Zoe toward the bedroom. Zoe turned and looked at Cade, praying this was a nightmare and she would wake up soon.

“Go on,” he said. “The kids need you.”

“I can’t let you leave, not like this…” She felt light-headed, powerless. The room spun, and she lifted her hand to her forehead, trying to orient herself. She couldn’t fall to pieces now. She must put the children’s needs above hers. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath. “All right…all right. The children will be fine…I’ll be fine. Do what you have to do.” The words tasted bitter in her throat.

Cade pushed back and came to her, his firm shoulder supporting her. His familiar scent filled her senses, and she reeled with fear.

“Listen to me, Red.” He gripped her arm. “If anything happens to me, you and the kids leave Winterborn. Do you understand what I’m saying? McGill will come after you.”

She nodded, swallowing. “Yes…I’ll leave with the children, but I have no place to go…”

“Pop will help you.”

Cade moved her toward the bedroom where she could hear Missy’s hysterical crying. She had to calm the child.
Please, God, give me the strength to do this for Cade.
She patted Cade’s hand. “I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine…I just need a minute.” Her knees buckled, and she fell against him for one blissful moment. Her arms wound around his neck, and she buried her face in his shoulder, and then she kissed his cheeks, his eyes, anywhere she could blindly touch. He matched her kisses, nearly crushing her in his hold.

“My prayers go with you,” she whispered, knowing the need in her voice for him to run, and not look back, belied her outward calm.

“Listen to me, Red.” His expression was so tender it nearly took her breath away. “Because of you and the children, I didn’t leave. I couldn’t. Now my past has caught up with me. McGill is here. I can’t run anymore.” He wiped a tear from her cheek. “Can you understand?”

“Oh, Cade, I couldn’t bear it if….”

“Shhh.” He laid his fingertips across her lips.

“Do you remember why I gave you the name Red?”

“Because of my hair.” She touched his whisker-roughened cheek, needing to absorb his every essence.

“That’s what I told you, but it was because you had the temper and strength of a man, and I admired that.” He smiled. “Find that strength, sweetheart. Be the woman I know you are. Be brave for the children.”

She started to laugh and didn’t know why. “It wasn’t my hair?” Her laughter turned to quiet sobs, wracking her body as he kissed her before he turned to leave.

“Go into the bedroom, Red.”

Quickly, she released the clasp on her locket and put the chain around his neck. “I want a part of me to be with you out there.”

He pulled her to him again and kissed her so hard she could barely breathe. Then he left.

Brody emerged from the bedroom and took her gently by the hand. “It’s all right, Zoe. I’ll take care of you.”

The boy led her into the bedroom. Outside the window, the faint sounds of men’s shouts came to her. It sounded as if Main Street were being cleared of horses and buggies. Lifting her head, she heard the children crying, their young voices full of fear. She took a handkerchief and wiped Will’s runny nose as she heard another yell. Her heart raced.

Gathering the children to her, she searched for words to allay their fear. The apprehension in their eyes made her want to cry harder, but instead she dried her eyes. “Shall we say a prayer for Uncle Pa?”

They nodded.

“Dear God…” The words ceased, and Zoe broke down. Holly picked up the thread.

“Dear God. We are scared for Uncle Pa. We love him a lot. The preacher says that you love us so we know what love feels like. Please keep Uncle Pa safe. Amen.”

Zoe wiped her eyes, smiling at Brody. “Have I ever told you the story about Cade and Pop going coon-hunting when Cade was just about your age?”

Brody shook his head, his face pale with worry.

“My,” she said, “were those two ever a sight. They took off for the woods, guns over their shoulders, ol’ Blue on the trail of something. The other dogs joined in all that baying, having not the slightest idea what they were howling about…”

Her eyes moved to the window. The commotion outside was getting louder. Lifting her voice, she spoke over the noise. “Pop said they were just all imitating ol’ Blue, but that old dog sure knew how to hunt…”

Chapter Fifty-Three

W
aving a crutch in the air, Pop yelled at the women gathered on the corner. “Git off the street!” When the flock didn’t move, he yelled louder. “Go on home, now, there’s gonna be a shoot-out!” Hobbling across the road, he motioned for horses to be untied and buggies moved. “Get these animals out of here!”

Men released horses and sent them galloping with a brisk swat to the hindquarters. Buckboards and buggies rattled toward the livery.

At the north end of town, Hart McGill’s silhouette loomed as storm clouds moved in. A sharp crack of thunder split the dark morning sky. Cade rounded the corner of the general store and Pop hobbled to meet him.

Main Street cleared. Onlookers ducked into nearby businesses and jerked the shades down.

Cade lifted his hat, ran his fingers through his hair, and then settled it low. Glancing to the north end of town, he said, “Looks like I stayed a day too long.”

Pop’s weathered face looked older than Cade had ever seen it. “You don’t have to do this, son. Let me run the no-good out of town, tell him to move on.”

Cade studied McGill’s outline. The image of Owen Cantrell’s widow was seared in his mind. Owen had been shot down in the prime of his life by this coldhearted outlaw. Twenty other men had lost their lives to this animal. “I can’t do that.”

“Then jest concentrate on what you’re doin’, son.”

“Get out of here, Pop. This is my fight.”

“It’s my town.”

Cade took a money clip out of his pocket and handed it to Pop. “If this doesn’t turn out good, see that Red gets this. If I lose, McGill will come after her and the kids next. Tell her to buy a place out of state, somewhere far away, where she and the kids will be safe.”

Pop waved the money aside. “Don’t need that. I got a piece of land in Missouri so remote, mosquitoes cain’t find it. I’ll take care of your family if anything happens.”

“Thanks, Pop.”

“The only thanks I want is for you to come out of this alive.” He put his hand on Cade’s shoulder. “You keep a steady hand. You can take him. There ain’t a better gun around than Cade Kolby’s.”

Cade smiled. “Tell my family I was thinking of them.”

Pop nodded. “You need to tell ’em, not me. It’s not over ’til it’s over. Now, git out there and do what you gotta do.” He limped across the street.