Brazos Bride (10 page)

"Eduardo is not a bad person, just...well, he makes grand plans, but never follows through." She met his gaze and smiled. "Eduardo is better at talking about work than actually doing any."

He chuckled. "Made him out for a mama's boy."

Hope felt her face flush with embarrassment for her eccentric family. "Always Tio Jorge is very...hard on Eduardo. Tia Sofia dotes on him, even pampers him in spite of his resistance. She has tried to baby me, but I can not abide her coddling."

"Figured as much." He narrowed his eyes and gave her a speculative look. "Your folks try coddling you?"

She almost snorted in disgust. "Hardly. Do you honestly believe my father ever pampered anyone?"

"Figured any man would fall prey to a pretty daughter like you, and I didn't know your mother. She passed on not long after I came."

She gathered the offhand compliment to her with pleasure, but the mention of her parents saddened Hope.

"Mother avoided my father when she could. He constantly criticized her." Me, too, she wanted to add but didn't. She couldn’t sort her feelings about her father—resentment, love, sadness, and fear.

"Sorry, didn't mean to dredge up bad memories."

She pivoted on the seat. Just looking at Micah’s handsome profile made her grow warm inside. Remembering the way he’d saved her last night, then comforted her to sleep let her know she’d chosen the right man to help her. She had to remind herself to not attach any emotion to it, and to remember their arrangement. And under no circumstances could she let herself fall prey to his good looks and strength.

"What about your parents? You said your father died, but not how."

His jaw tensed. "Pa died a broken man about two years ago. He'd managed to hold on to our home in Johnson County through the War, survived the horrible taxes and such afterward. Us boys helped him finally scrape together the money to pay off the mortgage on our place."

Sadness showed in his posture. He shook his head, as if to erase the memory. "Papa didn't trust Wells Fargo, so he decided to carry the money to the Fort Worth bank himself. Robbers struck the stage. Took everything he had."

"Oh, no. All the mortgage money?"

"Yep, even the watch and ring my grandfather gave him. Guess you know if he'd put it in the express box, Wells Fargo would have guaranteed it and paid him back. As it was, we lost the ranch, the home he loved and had poured his sweat into. He believed he’d let his family down, plus he couldn’t bear losing all he’d worked years for. Guilt and disappointment killed him."

"Did anyone catch the robbers?"

"Not yet, but we discovered they were Frank Kirby’s gang. A few months ago we learned they're back in this area. Soon as we get you safe and sound, Zach and Joel are taking off after them."

She remembered he'd said he was through with killing. He must have meant with being a lawman too. Very gently, she touched his arm. "I am very sorry. And your mother?"

“
Mama didn’t last long without Papa.” His somber face changed to a grin. “I’d say it’s just my brothers and me, but we have two aunts in Weatherford.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Real corkers. They’re gonna love you.”

Love her?
Tia Sofia was fond of her. Tio Jorge and Eduardo too, but only because she was a relative. She didn’t think anyone had ever actually
loved
her.

The thought of his aunts caring in any degree both pleased and upset her at the same time. "You think it is wise I meet them? I mean, it would only upset them later when they learned we had parted."

"Already arranged." His eyes widened and he inhaled sharply. He looked as if he wanted to take back what he'd said.

She took a deep breath. “What do you mean, it is already arranged?”

"Well, dam—um, darn. I was gonna go over it last night. But Eduardo distracted me and then you being sick and the shots and all, and I forgot. Didn’t seem a good time this morning, so I figured I’d tell you after we got to your place."

She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me what?"

"I studied on how to protect you. There're too many ways to slip poison into your food. Especially now that it can be in anything since you and my whole family would be the ones to eat it."

"
Your entire family
?" Her Latin temper flared hot as the weather.

"Don’t go getting riled. Let me get the whole thing out before you say anything else. You remember I told you Joel and Zach plan to stay close? Well, my aunts are coming to run the kitchen so no one has a chance to poison you."

“
Five people
?
My aunt and uncle are to be replaced by
five people
from your family?” He was taking over her life, locking her into a narrow cage as men in her family did to women.

He shot her an angry look. “What are you complaining for? I told you I’d protect you. Will you let me do my damn job?”

She took another calming breath and fought her temper. She thought she’d learned to control it. From where had it sprung? “Do you not think it would have been a good idea to check with me
before
you sent for your aunts?"

He looked like a little boy caught misbehaving. She imagined he'd worn that same look often as a child. The charm of it probably saved him from many thrashings.

He tugged at his ear lobe and grimaced. "Yes, Ma'am, I see that now. But at the time, I just couldn't think of anything better, and I wanted them here as soon as possible." He looked at her, his eyes pleading.

“
In spite of you telling me I was brave and intelligent last night, you chose to shut me out of plans for my safety as if only you had a right to decide my future?” She took another deep breath. “Micah, please do not treat me as if I am incapable of understanding the problem. You should have first discussed this plan with me."

His nostrils flared and he exhaled a huge whoosh of breath. "I'm new at marriage, okay? And yes, I know it isn’t a
real
marriage. But I’m doing my best here. I served in the army and as a Texas Ranger. Whenever I got an assignment, I had to take immediate charge and solve the problem. Protecting your life is my assignment, see, so I took charge.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to silence her.

"Now hear me out. I figure you must think I can do the job or you’d have asked someone else or picked another way to outsmart whoever’s after you. So, you shouldn't get mad when I try to do what you're paying me for.”

She clamped her lips together to still her reply.

“
I know, I know. In the future, I'll try to include you in any decisions whenever possible."

"Thank you. I will appreciate that courtesy." She regretted the snappish tone that had tinged her voice earlier. Thinking on his past, she figured it cost him to make his promise now. Their odd alliance required it, though. Would he remember next time?

Chapter Eleven

They rode in awkward silence for a while. Fatigue dogged her, so she attempted to distract herself by thinking about the invasion of his family. Where should each person sleep? How would the aunts really feel about her? Could they accept her and actually come to love her? Of course not, especially when they learned the real reason for her marriage.

Although she'd lived there all her life, she'd never traveled west of her own land. Too dangerous, her father had said. Nothing but Indians out there. Of course, he’d said whatever suited his purpose. Probably he just wanted her to stay home where she could serve him.

The low hills grew steeper and she recognized the small mountain ahead that she could see from her bedroom balcony. Taller than the peaks on her land, this one was the tallest in sight. Now that she saw it closer, the road winding up it looked treacherous. She wanted to ask if the mountain belonged to Micah, but curiosity about his aunts defeated her.

"What are these aunts like? What are their names?"

He smiled, as if even thinking of them cheered him. She returned his grin. Wouldn't having family members that evoked those thoughts be magnificent? These were the women who might
love
her. The thought sent a warm tingle of happiness through her.

"They’re both tall, but Lizzie Mae Fraser is round as a barrel with little corkscrew curls that dance everywhere. She always looks on the bright side of everything. No matter how rotten a person is, she can find something nice to say about him. No matter how gloomy the situation, she can find some good. And cook? Lordy, that woman can cook anything."

He chuckled again, as if remembering a funny incident. "Maggie Jo Gamble is thin and more sparing with praise, but she would do anything for us boys. She's a bundle of energy, and buzzes around like she has to get everything in the world righted before dark."

"They sound nice. Are they married?"

"Were. Both are widows and lost their husbands in the War. Neither has children. They live together now."

"When do you think they will be here?"

"On the next stage from Weatherford. Zach wired them right after we were married. Remember I told you I spoke to Zach while you were getting ready for bed last night? That’s when Zach told me they’d sent a wire back yesterday evening before he left town."

He turned toward a small cabin near a large barn. She looked at her lapel watch. The time was about right for this to be his home. Compared to her large hacienda, this place was tiny.

The dogtrot cabin appeared built entirely of cedar logs, but she saw at least two windows with shutters. The house looked solid, though. A small covered porch with two benches and a chair jutted off the cabin by the front door.

The barn couldn’t have been completed long, because the lumber still had the new look of fresh cut wood. Large doors opened into a fenced paddock. She wondered how many horses Micah owned. Near the barn stood a smaller shed. The aged wood indicated that had served as the old barn.

At least his home would allow her to rest. Thank goodness, maybe she could lie down for a while. They’d arrived near noon and she hoped they'd eat soon. When she knew the food offered was safe, she became ravenous, but now she knew to curb her eating.

Micah pulled up the reins and stopped near the front door. His hands cupped his mouth and he called, "Cooooeeee!"

At first she thought men poured from the barn and corral but when she counted, there were only four. She recognized Micah's brothers but she didn't know the names of the other two.

"Hey, baby brother. Hello, new little sister." The one named Joel grabbed her waist and swung her down. "Come on into the house. We're waiting lunch for you."

Micah cautioned, "Now, Joel, don't get all bossy. She already lit into me for that on the way here. Give her a few days to get used to us."

Joel winked at her. “Trying to keep you in line, is she?”

One of the thinnest men she'd ever seen took of his battered hat. "Welcome, Mrs. Stone. I'm Slim Carter." He was a good six feet tall, but looked taller for his lack of width. His sandy hair fell below his ears, and his blue eyes twinkled.

"And no one ever gets used to them Stone brothers,” Slim added with a laugh. “Not even Bert and me, and we both knowed the Cap’n for nigh onto ten years now."

Did Slim mean Micah was a Captain? He was young to have been a Captain in the War. Maybe the term came from elsewhere.

Zach made a mock bow. "Welcome to Stone Mountain Ranch." He was the best looking of the three brothers, though all three definitely qualified as handsome. Each stood at least three or four inches over six feet and each had the same molasses dark hair and pale gray eyes and muscular build.

Since Zach bowed, she curtsied. "Thank you."

The other man hung back and she surprised herself by stepping toward him, remembering the name Slim had mentioned.

"You must be Bert."

His brown eyes widened and at first she thought he'd turn tail and run, but he nodded at her. "Bert Wells, Ma'am. Welcome to you. Glad the Cap’n got hitched." Bert was only medium height in this group of giants, and his brown hair had almost disappeared from his balding head.

Micah took her elbow. "If they're holding lunch let's have at it. I'm starving, even if it is early for the midday meal."

Joel slapped him on the back. "Bert cooked up a big batch of stew and made a peach pie. We weren't sure you'd come this far out of the way, but we figured we'd split your share if you didn't show up."

A dog run separated the kitchen and living quarters and chinking around the home’s cedar logs looked tight. Inside, large stones laid out an almost smooth floor and made a large fireplace. Had Micah fashioned the cedar table and chairs? At the other end of the room she saw five bunks. Only about twenty feet long and maybe fifteen feet wide, the entire cabin must be about the size of her bedroom. Micah cleared his throat and she turned.

He held a chair for her at the table. "Figured I'd get a stove once the drought's over and I sell cattle. Bert's a good cook, though, and he can make about anything in the fireplace or open campfire. Hot days he usually cooks outside in the shade."