Blue Moon Promise (27 page)

She felt stupid singing a love song to a cow. But Bessie seemed to like it. The cow snorted, then swished her tail, and a drop of milk squirted the next time Lucy squeezed. Heartened, she leaned her head against the cow and tried to get a rhythm going.
Squirt, squirt. Ping, ping
. She smiled. She was getting it!

Then Nate’s deep baritone chimed in with her soprano.

“I long for Jeannie with the day dawn smile. Radiant in gladness, warm with winning guile.’”

His gray eyes were smiling as he pulled up a stool beside hers. Did he love her? She was beginning to think he felt something, even as this feeling grew in her own heart. Was it love? She hoped so. She wanted to love her husband. But she’d had so little experience with men. Maybe it was merely physical attraction. Whatever it was, she wanted to nurture it.

“I reckon you’re getting the hang of this,” Nate said. “Almost half a bucket.”

“You usually get over a bucket.”

“I didn’t at the beginning. Once those fingers get stronger, you’ll be great at it.”

Her fingers did ache. She flexed them. “You want to finish? Bessie might appreciate being totally emptied.” She scooted over to make room for him. His broad shoulder grazed hers, and she could smell the clean scent of the soap he’d used to wash. She wanted to lean against him and have him gather her in his arms.

The weather had turned hot. Even this early she was too warm. She and Nate were alone, a state that came so seldom she felt tongue-tied.

“I thought we’d go check on Pa today after supper,” Nate said. “We haven’t been over for two days. That okay with you?”

“Of course. I made some pies yesterday. I’ll take one to him.”

“He’ll enjoy that. All he’s done lately is eat, Percy says. I think Percy is getting tired of cooking for him.”

“I wonder if we should take dinner to him for a few days to give Percy a break. I could go over early to cook.” She almost hated the thought of leaving her little cabin. It had quickly become home. “You and Jed could join us after you’re done with chores.”

“I bet Pa would enjoy the different food.” Nate rose and took the bucket of frothy milk. Lucy followed him, and they crossed the yard to the house. She’d opened the windows to take advantage of what wind there was, and the new yellow gingham curtains blew in the breeze.

“You’ve done wonders with the house,” Nate said. “I never realized before how much this place needed something. Pa hasn’t even seen it yet.”

“He’ll just say, ‘I told you so.’” Lucy smiled and took Nate’s hand.

He gave her a surprised glance, then laced his fingers through hers. A warm glow spread through Lucy’s stomach. She prayed every day for the relationship between them to blossom and flourish. It looked as though God was answering that prayer.

“You checked on your coins lately?” he asked, still holding her hand.

She nodded. “This morning when I went to the cellar I checked them. Still there.”

“I thought Pa would have heard something from Watson. It can’t be that hard to track down something that rare.”

“Maybe they were in a private collection.”

They reached the front door, and he opened it for her. A bit of milk sloshed over the rim of the bucket, and he steadied it. “We can ask Pa when we get there. At least the fellow is gone from town.”

“He’ll be back. I’m glad Fanny isn’t pining for him anymore.”

“You two had a chat at dinner on Sunday?”

She took the bucket from him and poured the milk into the butter churn. “She is still pining for the fiancé who left and never came back.”

“Love does that.” A tender expression emerged on his face when he added, “So I’m told.”

She had hesitated to say anything to him about her cousin’s warning since his father had hired Rolf, but he really needed to know. They’d gone to town on Monday and he’d worked in the field until late yesterday. She hadn’t found a time to bring it up without the children.

He was staring at her. “Is something wrong?”

“Fanny told me she overheard Rolf tell a man he was going to search the Stanton cabin.”

His lips flattened. “For the coins?”

“I would assume so.”

“I had a feeling he was trying to get his hands on them.”

She nodded. “I thought so too, but it’s possible he just wants to see them so he can identify them properly. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I. I’ll keep an eye out for him.”

She turned away and put the lid on the churn. The lantern was lit so she knew the children were up. “Eileen, want to churn the butter?” she called.

Her little sister came running into the kitchen. Nate lifted down the churn for her and set it on the floor by her feet. Lucy watched the little girl begin to churn. She would wear out soon, and Lucy would take over, but it was good experience for Eileen. When Lucy glanced up, she caught an expression of tenderness on Nate’s face as he watched Eileen work at the churn that was nearly as big as she was.

He was a good man.

TWENTY-FOUR
 
 

L
ucy adjusted her bonnet to guard her face from the harsh Texas sun and followed Nate outside after lunch. He helped her hitch the horse to the buggy. “Are you sure you know how to get to the main house?”

“Don’t worry, Nate. We’ll be fine.”

“Sorry.” He grinned and put an arm around her. “I can’t help but worry when you’re out by yourself.”

The hug he gave her felt like one he’d give Eileen, and it irritated her. She wanted him to cradle her in his arms and kiss her, really kiss her. Not that light peck on the cheek he’d taken to giving her every night. How did a woman go about letting a man know she was ready for more than he was offering? Lucy gave a tiny sigh. She’d been thinking about that blue moon.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She pulled away and climbed into the buggy without his assistance. She stared into his perplexed gaze and stretched out her arms. “Could you hand Eileen up to me?”

He stared at her a moment, then shrugged. He scooped up Eileen and handed her to Lucy. “You girls be careful. Don’t forget there’s a rifle under the seat if you need it.”

“I remember.” She stared straight ahead and slapped the reins against the mare’s back. “Dinner will be at six. Try not to be late.”

Nate reached up and grabbed the reins. “Lucy, what’s wrong? Did I do something?”

Shame twisted in her gut. It wasn’t his fault she was feeling so blue and rejected. He was doing everything he could to make this work. How was he to know she was ready for a deeper relationship? She bit her lip and raised her gaze to his. “We’ll talk in the blue moon.”

Amusement filled his eyes. “Keep thinking about it.”

He slapped the mare’s hindquarters and she set off at a trot. As she guided the horse, Lucy stewed about what to say to him. Half the time she didn’t know what she wanted, so how was he supposed to know? Ever since the night at the river two weeks ago, she’d realized she was about ready for a real marriage.

The recent rains had left the ground muddy. Lucy tried to keep the buggy in the driest areas, but she still got bogged down several times. Eileen fell asleep, and Lucy breathed a sigh. Now she could concentrate on where she was going and on her own thoughts. She rounded a curve and hit a deep patch of mud. The mare whinnied and thrashed in the mud, flinging up bits of muck onto Lucy’s dress.

“Whoa!” Lucy pulled on the reins and clambered down. The mud sucked at her boots, and she almost fell as she made her way to the horse’s head. She patted her and tried to back the horse out of the mud. The horse reared in terror, and Lucy scrambled back. She lost her balance and sat awkwardly in the mud. Struggling to get up, she fell forward. Near tears, she tried to get on all fours, but the mud held her.

She might have to send Eileen for help. She could see the smoke from the main house from here. Then a horse whinnied behind her. She turned and looked up into the smiling face of a man she vaguely recognized as the foreman at the O’Brien ranch.

He tipped his hat. “Morning, Lucy.”

“That’s missus,” she corrected.

His grin widened. “Whatever you say, ma’am. You need some help? Looks like you’re in a bit of a predicament.”

His smirk raised Lucy’s ire, but she was in no position to refuse help. “I would appreciate it,” she said coldly.

“Say that like you mean it, and I might see my way clear to helping you.” He put his hands on his hips, and his white teeth flashed.

“Sir, give me your hand!” She wasn’t about to play games with him.

His eyes widened, and he stepped forward and offered his hand. She gripped it with her mud-covered one, and he hauled her inelegantly to her feet. Before she could thank him and release his hand, he gave a tug and jerked her into his arms.

“Now I’ll take my appreciation.” He bent his head.

Lucy didn’t take time to think, she just walloped him upside the head with a glob of mud she’d inadvertently clutched in her other hand. It hit him in the eye, and he let out a yelp. He was so startled, he let loose of her, and she sprang to the buggy and wrested the rifle from under the seat.

“I won’t hesitate to use this on a coyote like you. I appreciate your help, but not enough to offer more than a handshake and a thank-you. Now mosey on down the road. My father-in-law is expecting me, and his men would be rather put out to find you’d manhandled me.”

The foreman’s face suffused with red, and he narrowed his eyes. “I was just helping you out of the mud. It’s your word against mine.” He tipped his hat. “I’ll be seeing you around, Miss Lucy.”

“That’s missus!” she shouted after him as he vaulted to his horse and wheeled angrily away.

LUCY SNAPPED THE whip over the mare’s head. “Giddyup!” She flipped her filthy skirt around her legs and hunched forward. She couldn’t wait to get out of this mud-encased dress. The horse and buggy cantered into the yard. Lucy pulled hard on the reins to halt the horses, then she flung herself from the buggy and scooped up Eileen. Several ranch hands gaped as she hurried to the house. She was wet and scared, but she was determined not to let that bully cow her.

Henry, his spectacles perched on his nose, looked up from where he sat by the window with a book in his hand. His bushy eyebrows rose when he saw her condition and he stood. “Lucy, what’s happened to you?”

“My buggy got bogged down in the mud.” He didn’t need to worry about the man. She would take care of her own battles.

“My dear girl, you must get out of those wet clothes.” He went to the hall. “Percy, fetch the trunk with Mrs. Stanton’s things in it.” He turned back to Lucy. “I kept some of my wife’s nicer things since they were all I had of her. You’re about the same size. I think they’ll fit.”

“Oh, I couldn’t wear them. An old pair of dungarees and a shirt will do until I get home.”

“Absolutely not!” He gestured for her to sit. “Percy will bring the trunk, and you can take whatever you like.”

“Your cushion will be soiled if I sit. I’ll clean up in the kitchen.” She hated to feel like she was asking for anything. She took Eileen’s hand.

He followed them into the kitchen. Eileen climbed into a chair. Henry watched Lucy sluice water over her exposed skin. Flecks of mud fell to the floor and she grimaced. “I’ll get it.” She crouched and began to pick up the bits of debris.

“Lucy, please.” At the pained look on his face, she stood. “You’re not a servant here. You’re my daughter. I don’t want you acting like you’re here on suffrage.”

Tears welled in Lucy’s eyes. She’d always been so used to carrying her own weight, of trying not to be a bother, that it came hard to accept what he was offering. “Thank you, Pa.”

Henry colored with pleasure. He knelt beside Eileen’s chair. “And I’d like you to call me Grandpa, if you’d like, Eileen.”

The little girl stared into the older man’s face. She put a small hand on each side of his face. “I like you. You can be my grandpa.”

Henry kissed her, then fished for his handkerchief. “You’ve made me very happy by joining our family, Lucy. I know it hasn’t been easy for you. My Nate can be like a penned bull when he feels he’s being forced into something. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you. You two are a good match.” His voice was full of satisfaction.