Change of Heart (5 page)

“Thanks, Will. We’ll be there soon.”

He inclined his head toward Jase and urged
his mount to speed toward his home. When Jase drove up to the
Carson home, Amy was standing on the porch with a knitted shawl
wrapped around her shoulders. Jase got down from the buckboard and
marched up the steps with Marietta in his arms.

“She fainted, Amy.”

“I know, Will told me.” Amy looked as though
she hadn’t slept in days. She was evidently more worried during the
storm than Will had let on. “Bring her in and lay her on the sofa.
Will is fetching the smelling salts and a glass of water.”

With Zack on his heels, Jase strode into the
small living quarters and laid Marietta on the sofa. He stood back
and gazed down at her, hoping she was all right.

Amy knelt beside the sofa and rubbed her palm
over Marietta’s forehead. “You poor dear,” she cooed. “You’ve been
through so much.”

Will handed her the smelling salts and water.
Amy set the water on the table next to the sofa and waved the
bottle of pungent odors beneath Marietta’s nose.

“What’s that stuff?” Zack asked, sidling up
to Amy.

“Smelling salts. They’ll help her to come
to.”

“Do they smell good?” Zack removed his hat
and coat and dropped them on the floor.

“No,” Amy replied.

He took the smelling salts away from her.
“Then don’t make her smell them. When I wake up, I like to smell
stuff that smells good. When my ma fried bacon, that always waked
me up. Why don’t you fry some bacon, Miss Amy? That will wake up my
aunt.”

The men chuckled, and Amy smiled at Zack.
Jase had to admit the boy had a good point.

Marietta stirred, lifting the back of her
hand to her forehead.

“Easy, Marietta,” Amy said soothingly.

Marietta rolled her head from side to side
and wiped her fingers over her eyes. “What happened?”

“Honey, take it easy,” Amy said. “Don’t get
up just yet. You fainted.”

“And Miss Amy tried to wake you up with some
stinky stuff,” Zack added. “I told her to fry some bacon ‘cause
that’s good at waking a person up.”

Jase crouched next to the sofa and took
Marietta’s hand when Amy moved aside. “Are you all right?”

She glanced at the hand he’d wrapped around
hers. “I’ll be fine in a minute. I’m sorry to have worried
you.”

When he squeezed Marietta’s hand, Jase became
aware for the first time of their intimate connection. He hadn’t
realized he was touching her at all and quickly released his grasp.
He stood and looked at Will. “She’ll be okay now.”

Will nodded and gave him a peculiar look. Had
he noticed what Jase had just learned himself? Was it written all
over his face that he was starting to care too much for
Marietta?

“You men go to the kitchen and have some
coffee,” Amy suggested. “Take Zack with you and give him a glass of
milk.” She turned toward Marietta. “We need a few moments
alone.”

Jase scooped Zack into his arms. “Come on,
big fella. Let’s see if Amy has any of her famous gingerbread men
in the kitchen.”

When they were alone, Amy bent next to
Marietta. “Let me help you out of that cape and coat, honey. The
men will be occupied for a few minutes, and you and I can have a
little talk.”

Marietta sat up and squirmed out of her coat.
“I’m sorry to be such a bother. I remember now what happened. Lt.
Carson told me Sledge Jackson has already left for the Missouri
River.”

Amy bit her lip and nodded. “I’m afraid they
left when the skies turned gray. Mr. Jackson has a sixth sense
about the weather and said they could be delayed another week or so
if they didn’t get started right away. He wanted to get as many
miles behind him as he could before the storm caught up to
him.”

“But that leaves me stranded here until the
stage returns weeks from now.” Marietta sat up and rubbed her hands
over her face. “What am I going to do, Amy?”

“You’re going to stay with us.”

Marietta shook her head. “I can’t. You barely
have enough room for yourselves. Zack and I would be terribly
underfoot.”

“Nonsense,” Amy said. “Will and I talked it
over and agreed that if God spared you from the storm as we prayed
with all our might that He would, we would put you and Zack up here
in our home until you can catch the stage back to meet the boat at
the Missouri River.”

“No. It will never work,” Marietta insisted.
“And what if the stage can’t travel? Who knows what kind of winter
this will be?”

Amy smiled broadly. “It’s going to be a good
winter, I can feel it. The snow is already half-melted, and it will
melt some more tomorrow. We’ll have a mild winter--a happy winter.
I can feel it deep inside me.” She paused and sighed. “I know your
plans have been terribly upset, Marietta, but I feel blessed to
have a new friend to spend more time with me. Our invitation to you
is heartfelt and lovingly extended. I hope you’ll accept it in that
manner.”

Marietta could scarcely believe what she was
hearing. Amy barely knew her, yet she spoke to her as lovingly and
sincerely as only Kathy had spoken to her before.

“I don’t know what to say, Amy, except thank
you. But how are we going to work this out? I won’t consider
staying in your room for such a long period of time. That’s yours
and Will’s domain.”

“Will and I thought of that too,” Amy said.
“We’ll section off the end of the parlor with the bookshelves next
to the east wall. Will can get an extra bed for you, and you’ll
have some privacy in the space between the shelves and the wall.
Zack can sleep on the sofa.” She clutched Marietta’s arm. “It will
work, honey. We’ll all be just fine.”

The men and Zack returned to the parlor.

“Did you explain everything to her, Amy?”
Will asked.

She stood and turned toward her husband. “I
did and she accepted. She and Zack will stay with us until the
stage comes.”

“Not me!” Zack shouted. “I’m staying with
Jase.” He grabbed the cowboy’s hand. “Jase told me I had a home
with him. Didn’t you, Jase?”

He squatted next to Zack and touched the
boy’s cheek. “I did, but that was right after your ma and pa died,
son.” He drew back his hand. “It was before I knew your aunt was
coming to take you home with her. You belong with Miss Randolf
now.”

“Not yet,” Zack said. “In Nebraska I belong
with you.” His lower lip quivered as he tried to convince Jase of
his logic.

Will stepped toward them. “Zack, I’ve got a
job for you to do while you stay here with us.”

Jase stood and took a few steps back to give
Will some space as he spoke with the child.

“A mare wandered into the fort during the
storm,” Will said, “and I’ll be blasted clean to Pennsylvania if
she didn’t drop a foal. A filly it is. In cold weather like this,
we have to take extra care in keeping that bit of a horse warm, and
we could use your help. Would you like to see the filly?”

Marietta could tell Zack was torn between
wanting to see the horse and not wanting to leave Jase even for a
few minutes. Her heart tore apart as she thought of taking Zack
away from Jase. She could see how hard the separation would be for
both of them. As much as she hated the delay in her return to
Chicago, it might possibly be better for Zack. He could ease his
way into leaving Jase by seeing him a little at a time.

Zack took his time making up his mind, but
when he made his decision, he went with Will.

“I have a million things to do in the
kitchen,” Amy said when Will and Zack were gone. “I’ll leave you
two alone to work things out about Zack.”

Jase walked toward Marietta who made room for
him to sit on the sofa.

“I’m sorry about Zack’s reaction to staying
here with you, Miss Randolf. It isn’t that he doesn’t want to be
with you.”

“He’s confused, Mr. Kent, but the boy
obviously loves you. He’s lost too many people he loves already. He
doesn’t want to lose you too.”

Jase wiped his hand over his face and looked
at the hearth on the opposite side of the room. “I’ve known that
boy since he was born. Fact is, I helped Clint bring him when
Kathy’s time came.”

Marietta sucked in a frightened breath.
“Kathy had no doctor?” Her sister hadn’t told her about giving
birth under such primitive conditions.

“There are no doctors out here, ma’am,” Jase
replied. “There’s medics at the fort, but they don’t know any more
about delivering babies than the rest of us.”

“And you were there with Kathy when Zack was
born?” His kindness to her sister touched her heart and soul.

“Yes, ma’am. My housekeeper, Mrs. Whipple,
was supposed to help Kathy when her time came, but she was away
visiting her son. Zack had a mind of his own even back then, and he
came early.”

Marietta smiled at Jase’s definition of her
nephew’s independence, but the thought of her sister’s dismal life
wiped the smile away as quickly as it had come. “Kathy had to give
up so much to come here. She had everything in the city.” Marietta
looked away and sighed. “I’ll never understand why she left.”

“Folks have given up what they have for all
sorts of reasons,” Jase said. “You take me for example. I had a
fine ranch in Texas, had everything a man could ever want, then
Clint and me got curious about the Nebraska and Wyoming
territories. We made a trip up here to look around, and once I laid
my eyes on this part of God’s creation, I knew I had to come here
to live. Clint felt the same way.”

“I felt bad enough to learn that Kathy was
going to Texas, but at least Texas has some civilization,” Marietta
said. “Did you know when Clint and Kathy got married that you’d
come to the Nebraska territory?”

“Kathy knew of our plans, and she was excited
to come to virgin land.”

Marietta shook her head. “I don’t understand
why that girl was such a rebel. How could she allow herself to take
such dangerous risks?”

“Kathy a rebel?” he said, grinning. “I never
thought of her that way. She seemed like a real reasonable woman to
me.” The grin on his face was replaced with a soft sort of
affection that matched the tone of his voice. “I don’t think Kathy
ever saw going to Texas or coming to Nebraska as a risk. As long as
she had Clint at her side, she had everything she’d ever wanted.
She loved that man in a most profound way.”

“And what did such foolishness get her, Mr.
Kent? Death at the hands of wild savages.”

“That love brought her immeasurable
happiness, Miss Randolf. As for the savages who killed her, savages
are among us everywhere. Would Kathy be any less dead if she’d
fallen in with riffraff from a riverboat in Chicago or St. Louis or
Omaha?” He squeezed her shoulder with his powerful hand. “There
isn’t anything foolish about the kind of love your sister had for
Clint.”

His words stung Marietta to her core.

“We all miss Kathy terribly.” He paused
before he went on. “She was a shining light among us. It was a
blessing to have her in my life and an even bigger blessing for
Clint to have her in his. She changed him in an overpowering way.
Kathy was a beacon of hope in the life of a man who’d lived alone
since he was only a little older than Zack.”

Marietta shook her head. “Don’t tell me any
more. Love destroyed Kathy. If she hadn’t loved Clint, she’d be
alive today.”

“Maybe she would, but Zack wouldn’t.”

Marietta got up off the sofa too quickly, and
her knees began to buckle.

Jase bolted to his feet and held her arm to
steady her. “Easy, Miss Randolf. You don’t want to faint
again.”

She looked up into his coffee-brown eyes and
was surprised at the concern she saw in them. Did he care for her?
While they’d been in the shack during the storm, she’d wondered a
few times if he was feeling mystical things for her as she did for
him. Now, as she gazed into his compelling eyes, she saw something
more than just friendly disquiet in his heart.

“No, I don’t want to faint again,” she said,
barely above a whisper.

“Please sit down.” He helped her back to the
sofa and took his place next to her. “I need to get back to my
ranch,” he said hesitantly.

“It’s nearly nightfall. You can’t travel back
there tonight.” The realization that she didn’t want him to go
struck her like a bolt of lightning.

“I’ll stay with the colonel tonight, and I’ll
head back at first light in the morning.”

“Are you going to tell Zack goodbye?”

He glanced toward the kitchen before focusing
his engaging brown eyes on Marietta. “I’ll invite myself to supper
before I go to see the colonel and make arrangements for the night.
If I can ease Zack into the idea of staying here where he belongs
by having supper with all of you, he might raise less of a fuss.
After supper, I’ll tell him goodbye and promise him I’ll be back in
a week.”

“That sounds good.” Marietta found herself
happy at the prospect of spending one more evening with Jase, and
she was glad she’d see him again in a week. “Your leaving will be
easier on Zack that way.”

“I think so too.” He paused, but he didn’t
look away. “I suppose I should leave.” he said, his words taking on
a reluctant tone.

“Already?” Marietta feared her shaky,
disappointed response gave away her heart. She didn’t want him to
leave.

“Would you like me to stay a little
longer?”

When she didn’t reply immediately, he shifted
closer to her

His sudden movement caused her to inhale
sharply. “Mr. Kent... ”

He reached toward her and cupped her cheek in
his palm. “Miss Randolf... ” He blinked, pulled his hand from her
cheek, and wiped his knuckle over his lips.

Marietta took hold of his wrist. “Mr. Kent,
thank you for taking care of us in the cabin. I’ll never forget our
time together there.”

“Nor will I,” he said huskily as he touched
her cheek with his free hand.