Distraction (11 page)

“Cade, what is that lying on the ground out past the
fence?” I pointed toward the rails of wood.

He seemed puzzled by my question, and I now felt
silly for asking it.

“Do you mean the tracks?”

“Oh yes, of course, never mind.” I was completely
baffled by his response and even more curious about what kind of
animal would leave tracks like that. Moments later, it seemed, I
would find my answer.

We trudged down a small slope when the ground beneath
our feet began to tremble as if some massive underground beast was
about to surface. Then a loud howl, followed by a long roar, ripped
through the air. The rumble grew louder and the ground shook more.
Cade continued to walk calmly toward the house. I glanced back and
a scream caught in my throat as a one-eyed, steam-spewing monster
flew over the wooden rails. My courage faded, and mud or not, I
flew into Cade’s arms.

The move surprised him, but his strong arms tightened
around me. He glanced back at the monster as it drew closer. “You
don’t have trains in your village, do you?” he asked.

“Trains?” I felt my cheeks heat. The beast raced past
leaving behind a smoky trail, but this was no dragon. This was
something made by man. “I’m so ashamed.” His arms did not release
me. “I can’t imagine what you must think.”

After a long pause, he dropped his hold on me. He
looked at me as if he were memorizing every detail of my face. “I
was thinking— she feels all too right in my arms.” His voice was
deep and low almost as if he was merely thinking aloud, but I heard
every word.

The heat in my cheeks intensified and I dropped my
face to hide the blush. Large splotches of mud had transferred from
his shirt to mine and smudges of dirt covered my arms. And yet, I
would have gladly thrown myself into the comfort of his protective
arms again.

We continued toward home. The yard came into view.
Libby was busy in her small garden tying a rather formidable
looking scarecrow made of burlap and straw to the fence. She looked
our direction, dropped what she was doing, and placed her hands on
her hips. “What on earth happened to you?”

“Cow got stuck in the mud,” Cade answered.

“Really? Because from here it looks like you got
stuck in the mud.”

“Yep.”

For the first time, Libby noticed the mosaic of
stains on my clothes. Her mouth hung open slightly as it seemed she
tried to puzzle out exactly how the mud got there. Fortunately, she
decided not ask questions.

“Well, you can’t go inside with all that mud. I just
mopped the floors. Undress on the back porch.” She looked at me.
“Poppy, there’s a basin with some water in the kitchen. Be a dear
and carry it out to him so he can throw it over his head. You are
caked from head to toe, Cade.”

“Yeah, thanks, Libby. I didn’t realize.”

“Enough of that, smart guy, just get those clothes
off. Leave them in a pile on the porch until I can wash them.”

I hurried inside and lifted the heavy basin from the
kitchen table. It was difficult not to slosh the water from side to
side as I carried it to the back porch. At least the water inside
was warm.

With all the care I’d taken not to spill the
contents, I nearly dropped the entire basin when I pushed through
the screen door and stepped out onto the porch. Cade was naked from
the waist up. The muscles of his bare chest and arms tightened as
he balled his muddy shirt up and tossed it to the floor of the
porch. He seemed to sense my shock at seeing him bare chested. A
sly grin told me he enjoyed my astonishment.

I lowered the heavy basin to the ground. Suddenly,
his bare feet were directly in front of me. I straightened slowly.
I’d only seen a man’s bare chest once in my life, and it had been
the result of a rambunctious fight between two farmers where Farmer
Prescott’s shirt had been ripped clean off. But Farmer Prescott’s
physique had not been one of beauty.

I realized I was holding my breath. Every inch of
Cade’s intriguing, solid build was within the distance of my touch,
and I was slightly ashamed to realize that I truly wanted to run my
fingertips over his bare skin and the hard, muscular ridges of his
arms and chest.

His green eyes had darkened and his expression seemed
to be teasing me, coaxing me to touch him. His smooth chest rose
and fell with every breath he took. A smile cracked the side of his
mouth and then he took several steps back. His broad shoulders
tightened as he reached for the button on his denim pants.

He smiled up at me. “I’m rolling these off next,
Sweetie. Maybe you should go inside and change.”

The screen door slammed shut behind me as I swept
inside and nearly flew to my room. There was still soapy water in
my basin, and I peeled off the mud-stained clothes and plunged my
hands into the water. I gave my face a few splashes as well, more
to cool the heat of my blush than to remove the grime.

My fingers trembled as I buttoned up the front of my
dress. My reaction to Cade had astonished me. I’d grown up in a
village that was nearly obsessed with being pious, chaste, and
cold, but I’d grown up in a house where love, affection, and
passion were discussed freely. Our cottage had been a tiny oasis of
thought and curiosity. Nonni had told me all about men and their
desires. What I truly hadn’t understood was that women could
experience these same desires. Until now, my only interactions with
men had been unwanted advances from Angus and clumsy, awkward
gestures from Alexander. Until now, my only interactions had left
me feeling either repelled or humored. Until now. . .

***

Cade did not return to the house for the remainder of
the afternoon, which had allowed me to regain my composure but at
the same time disappointed me. I knew it was completely absurd to
allow myself strong feelings for him. It would not be long before
Nonni showed up and then I’d be leaving Montana for good. But I
could not stop thinking about Cade Tanner.

The chickens scurried around the hem of my dress and
bobbed their heads up and down as I showered the scratch around the
yard. The rooster patrolled the perimeter, keeping a watchful eye
on his hens. Samuel was unloading the wagon. Charlotte and her
friend, Virginia, had arrived and were inside sharing a cup of tea
with Libby. Cade and Jackson were nowhere in sight.

I finished feeding the chickens and had gotten the
idea in my head to bring Red a treat. I walked into the kitchen.
Charlotte and Libby sat at the table with their visitor. Virginia
was a tall, statuesque woman with an elegant manner, but
surprisingly, her voice did not match the rest of her. It was
rather sharp and almost harsh.

“Virginia,” Libby said brightly, “this is Poppy. I’m
sure Charlotte mentioned her to you.”

Virginia’s dark brow raised, and she shot a rather
purposeful glance at Charlotte, who returned the same expression to
her friend. “Nice to meet you, Poppy. Welcome to Montana. Will you
be staying long?”

Her question caught me off guard. “Not long.”

That response produced a tight, yet relieved, smile
from Virginia. “Shame.” Virginia sipped some tea and then glanced
out the window to the yard. “I declare, Cade must be hiding out
there somewhere.”

Libby stood and went to the kettle. “He’ll be back
for supper. I can assure you of that. He might even be here earlier
if he hears that you’ve baked him his favorite checkerboard cake.”
Libby leaned over a basket that stood on the counter. “It smells
delicious.” She looked at me and pointed to the tea kettle.

I shook my head. “No thank you, Libby. I was
wondering if it would be all right if I picked a carrot from your
garden. I wanted to give Red a treat for putting up with my awkward
riding skills today.”

“You don’t know how to ride?” Virginia asked.

“I told you she’s from back east,” Charlotte
said.

“Yes, but certainly they have horses in
Massachusetts.” Virginia’s laugh was as unmelodious as the tone of
her voice.

Charlotte leaned over and, with the ridiculous notion
of thinking she was being discreet, whispered something into
Virginia’s ear. Virginia’s mouth drew into a tight little bow, and
she nodded and shot me a look of forced empathy. It was the first
time I’d truly felt uncomfortable in Libby’s house.

Libby grabbed hold of my hand as I turned to leave.
Her kind face erased some of the unease I was feeling. “Of course
you can pick a carrot. Charlotte and Virginia will be busy with the
sewing. Will you help me with supper?”

“Gladly, Libby. I’ll be back soon.”

I loped the filly around the round pen trying to
concentrate on my task and trying not to get distracted by the
day’s events. And, even though I’d very nearly died in a pool of
mud today, that was not the event that occupied mind. My true
troubles began the moment the girl appeared from nowhere. At that
moment, my only thought was to save her from being killed by a
bear. Now, my only thoughts were of touching her, kissing her, and
possessing her fully. The few moments on the porch, where it seemed
her urge touch me was as great as my own, I was both relieved and
disappointed that her fingers had not reached up and brushed my
bare skin. My control, which had already been tested and pushed to
its limits, would have shattered for sure.

Jackson rode toward the round pen. “Whooee,” he
yelled, and that was all the tightly wound horse needed.

Her back arched and she shot me straight into the
air. I wasn’t ready for the sudden burst of energy, and I lost my
hold and landed with a solid thud on the hard ground of the
pen.

Jackson dropped off his horse and climbed the railing
of the pen to get hold of the filly. She snorted through angry
nostrils and pawed the ground with her hoof. I sucked air back into
my lungs and pushed to sitting.

Jackson walked over and looked down at me. “Just not
your day, Cade. First the cow. Then your horse. And guess who’s
sitting in the house?”

I pushed to my feet with a groan, brushed off my
chaps, and walked over to retrieve my hat. “I already know Virginia
is here. And why the hell do you have to scream like a banshee when
you ride up to the pen? You know I’m still working out the
kinks.”

Jackson laughed and handed me the reins. “This horse
has more than a few kinks. You’d better watch yourself out here.”
He looked around. “By the way, where’s your guardian angel? Didn’t
see her up at the house.”

“Virginia and Charlotte probably scared her away.” I
pushed my hat on my head and pulled back up into the saddle. “Easy,
whoa. I thought we were done for the day too. Only now you’ve done
something stupid, and we’ve got to start all over again.” I pushed
the horse into an easy trot.

Jackson climbed back out of the pen and hung over the
railing. “Maybe I’d better stick around in case you get into
trouble again.”

“Right. Because you were so damn helpful out there
with that cow.”

“Don’t blame me. Blame your horse. Besides, that cow
was just pulling a fast one on us. The way it hopped to its feet
and strolled out of that mud was nothing short of miraculous.”

I pushed the horse into a lope. The filly fought me
at first but then picked up the gait. “Must have been a magic cow
or something.” Several successful circles around the pen and we
were done for the day. I patted the horse on the neck and climbed
off its back. “It’s been a long day. I’m taking this animal
in.”

Jackson opened the gate and I led the horse out.
“Virginia is waiting anxiously for your arrival. Thought I’d warn
you.”

“Yep.”

A soft voice trailed out of the barn as I approached,
and the sound of it caught me off guard.

Her slender body was leaned over the gate of Red’s
stall. I could see the tender outline of her hips and bottom
beneath the material of her dress as she reached forward and
stroked the horse’s head. Like a dumbfounded fool, I stood frozen
in the center of the barn watching her every move. Then she sank
back on her heels.

“Red was so good to me today, I decided he needed a
carrot.” A long curl of hair fell across her cheek and she brushed
it aside. If she wasn’t an angel then she was definitely sent from
heaven, and every inch of me felt her presence as if starlight had
found its way into the dark, dank barn.

She pulled another carrot from her pocket and the
filly’s ears perked up. “Would you like to give her a carrot? I
have an extra.”

“We’re having a battle of wills right now.” I grabbed
the horse’s bridle and turned its head so I could look it directly
in the eye. “But I will be winning that battle
soon
.” I
released it. “You can feed it to her if you’d like.”

Poppy was inches from me as she fed the horse, and I
wondered how, in the short time since I’d carried her home in my
arms, she’d managed to invade my soul so completely. It was no
wonder someone was looking for her. If I’d lost a girl like her, I
would search every damn corner of the earth.

The filly made quick work of the carrot. Poppy looked
expectantly out toward the house. “Libby needs me to help with
supper. I’m just waiting . . .”

“Let me guess. You’re waiting for Virginia and
Charlotte to leave the kitchen.”

She bit her bottom lip as if trying to suppress a
smile.

I tied the filly up. “I don’t blame you. I’m avoiding
the house too.”

“Oh, but Virginia has baked you your favorite
cake.”

“That cake comes with too high of a price.” I lifted
off my saddle and carried it to the rack.

Poppy walked back to Red’s stall and peered inside.
“I guess I’ll see you later, Red. Try to stay out of trouble.” She
reached in again to stroke his muzzle.

I could not stop my feet or my head or my heart. I
walked up behind her and she turned to face me. I was close enough
to see the glittering specks of gold in her brown eyes. She didn’t
shy away from my nearness. “You know, Jackson thinks you’re an
angel. And after today, I’m wondering if he’s right.”