Finding Promise (25 page)

Jake and Luke walked off, but Promise overheard Luke tell Jake he would meet him at the saloon after dinner. Not only was he having dinner with a woman looking for a husband, he was also spending a lot of time in the saloon. She'd read many things about the saloons in the West, and the women who worked in them. They were not places well-bred young ladies entered. Well, it was no business of hers where he went or what he did. It couldn't be any plainer than the nose on her face that he'd forgotten what they'd shared on the trail, and she was the biggest kind of fool to be hurt by his actions.

 

 

Victoria watched the interaction between Promise and Charles during dinner, finding the situation quite interesting. Charles was definitely head over heels in love with Promise, but Promise was more difficult to read. Though Victoria could see Promise loved this man, she didn't think she was
in love
with him. Listening to Charles's stories of their childhood, it was easy to understand and respect the bond between the two. On the surface, they seemed like the perfect pair. But life had a way of throwing curves, as Victoria well knew. Charles was a very attractive man, as tall as Jake, with dark sandy hair and patrician features. With his impeccable manners, many women would find him more than suitable husband material. Victoria smiled to herself, thinking Charles could certainly give any man some competition.

Colt viewed Charles as another complication in an already difficult situation. While he found him likable enough, and his company quite pleasant, he didn't relish having another person to protect at the ranch right now. If Charles was going to stay around for a few days, Colt would be forced to fill him in on the situation with the killers. He hoped Charles Worthington was a man who could take care of himself, and if necessary, defend the person he loved.

Chapter Thirty

Colt left the house early, giving Promise and Charles time alone over their breakfast. He wanted to talk to his brothers about their visit with L. B. Ditty last night. He reached the bunkhouse just as the brothers were leaving. The three of them walked to the stable while they talked.

“How'd it go with L. B.?” Colt asked.

“Plans in motion. L. B. will be ready for them.”

“So what do you make of Charles Worthington?” Luke asked.

He didn't want to appear too interested, so Jake was glad Luke asked the question. But he was interested, all right. He'd thought of nothing else all night.

“Nice man. As a matter of fact, he's going to join us on the range today,” Colt said. He glanced at Jake to gauge his reaction. “Did you know about him?”

“She mentioned him in her journal, but she never spoke of him.”

“Well, is he her fiancé or not?” Luke asked.

Jake had been wondering the same thing. Her memory had returned, at least everything but seeing her brother killed, so it seemed she would have remembered if she had a fiancé waiting for her. He'd been thinking she had an interest in Cole, but it seemed she'd been holding the truth from everyone.

“I guess we will see soon enough,” Colt said, leading the way inside the stable to saddle their horses.

Charles Worthington walked into the stables and strolled directly to Hero's stall.

When he led Hero out to saddle him, Jake walked over. “This is Promise's horse.”

Charles smiled and rubbed Hero's muzzle. “Of course it is. I watched him foal.” Jake didn't comment, and Charles looked at him. “I assure you that Promise told me to ride him.”

“I see,” Jake said, but he didn't see at all. He didn't know what in the hell was going on, and he wasn't happy about it, not one little bit.

When Charles was having breakfast with Promise, she'd told him about Jake McBride. Charles had a feeling she was smitten with the big cowboy. While her feelings were understandable—the man did save her life—Charles was confident that it was just a passing fancy. He wasn't about to allow some cowboy to interfere with the woman he'd wanted all of his life. Admittedly, Jake McBride, like his brothers, was a fearsome-looking man with his six-gun hanging on his hips, but that would not deter him. He moved closer to Jake until they were eye to eye. “I'm not sure you do see the way of it. I understand your protective feelings toward Promise. She told me this morning about traveling with you, and everything you've done for her. Don't get me wrong, I am most appreciative of all you've done for her, and I'm indebted to you. But I'm here now, and I will protect her from now on.”

Right now, Jake wasn't sure if this man, with his refined manners, was up to the task of protecting Promise. And it galled him that Promise had discussed him with this Southern-fried
gentleman
. “Let's get one thing straight right now. You don't owe me anything. I would have done the same thing for anyone I found in that situation. And you need to realize that as long as Promise is on this ranch, we will all be looking after her.” He wondered if Promise mentioned the kisses they had shared.

The men glared at each other until Colt walked over to intervene. “I think we need to fill Charles in on what's going on, so he will understand our concern.”

They saddled their horses and rode off. Jake and Luke rode ahead, leaving Colt to explain to Charles the situation with the killers.

“This changes my situation,” Charles said. “We can't possibly leave until this is resolved.”

Colt noticed he said
we.
He wondered if Promise had changed her mind and was planning on leaving with Charles.

“You're welcome to stay at the ranch as long as you like,” Colt said. “But we haven't told Promise the killers are here.”

“Thank you. I would feel much better staying close,” Charles responded. “How will you know when these men are back in town?”

“A friend of ours will let us know.”

 

 

“Please tell me about Charles,” Victoria said when Promise brought her lunch upstairs.

Promise took a seat beside Victoria's bed. “The Worthingtons were friends of my parents, so I've known Charles all my life. He and Matthew were best friends.” Promise found herself getting choked up at the mention of her brother.

“Charles seems like a wonderful man,” Victoria said.

Promise gave her a wistful smile. “He is wonderful. Actually, Charles is the perfect man for me. He knows me so well, and we've shared so much. I should have listened to him and never left Charleston. Matthew didn't really want to leave.”

Victoria heard the regret in her voice, and the guilt. “Your brother wouldn't have left if he didn't really want to, no matter how much he loved you.”

“I know what you are trying to do, but he really did leave Charleston for me. That is something I will regret the rest of my life.”

“Okay, maybe he did do it for you. But do you honestly think he would want you to live with that guilt the rest of your days?”

Promise was quiet for a long time, then said, “No, no he wouldn't.”

“Is Charles your fiancé?”

“He's asked me to marry him a million times, but I've always said no. Before we left Charleston he tried to give me a ring. I told him to find someone else to love, but he refuses. Maybe he's right and I should marry him. Matthew thought I should. I know he's right about my responsibilities now that Matthew is gone.”

Victoria noticed she said all the right things except the most important thing. “But you don't love him.”

“No, I don't love him, at least not in the way you love Colt. I respect him and I love him as a friend,” Promise answered softly.

“Then it wouldn't be fair to marry him. He deserves a woman who will be in love with him.”

“Perhaps love grows over time with a shared life.”

“Promise, I'm not saying that's not possible. But you want to be fair to Charles, and it wouldn't be fair to marry him if you love another man.”

“But I don't love another . . .” She didn't finish because she didn't want to lie to Victoria. “You're right, it wouldn't be fair if I don't love him.” She thought Victoria was so lucky that the man she loved was crazy about her. “Did you know you loved Colt from the start?”

Looking back, Victoria remembered the moment she first saw her husband. “The first time I saw Colt was in St. Louis. I thought he was intimidating, fearless, mesmerizing, the most handsome man I had ever seen. But I will save that story for another day.”

When Victoria spoke of her husband, the love she felt was written all over her face.

“You are so lucky to have found that kind of love,” Promise told her.

“Yes, I am. I think you will be too.”

Promise wasn't so sure. “I never expected I would find a man I thought more interesting than painting. I will go back to Charleston next year and then see what happens.” She couldn't forget how she'd felt when Jake said he was having dinner with another woman. She didn't want to feel that way again.

 

 

The men were on the range all day, and they had time to see what Charles Worthington was all about. They had to give him credit for lasting in the saddle so long. Grudgingly, even Jake had to admit Charles was an excellent rider, and he wasn't afraid of hard work. But he didn't carry a gun, and Jake would bet he couldn't even shoot.

When they rode back to the ranch that evening, Jake had a moment alone with his brothers. “Colt, I think Luke and I should move into the house until this is finished.”

Colt and Luke both looked at him. Colt wondered if Jake was suggesting this because he was worried the plan wouldn't work, or because Charles Worthington was staying in the house. “That's a good idea. I expect our plan to work, but I'd feel more comfortable with you two there.”

Luke wasn't as generous as Colt. “Are you sure this isn't about Charles Worthington?”

“What's he got to do with it?” Jake snapped.

“I don't know, maybe because we don't know if he is Promise's fiancé or not. And then there's the fact that he seems to think he is her fiancé,” Luke teased.

“Why should that bother me?”

Colt chuckled at his brothers. Jake was bound and determined not to admit his feelings for Promise, and Luke was just as determined to goad him into it. “You have to admit, Charles has a good head on his shoulders. He's certainly knowledgeable about the land.”

“He should be knowledgeable since he has two estates to manage,” Luke agreed.

“This is one of the reasons Promise needs to go back to Charleston. Her brother took care of business, and now that he's gone, it will be up to her,” Jake said.

Colt felt guilty he hadn't thought of that. “You're right, Jake. When this is over, we should tell her we will find someone else to help out.”

 

 

Dinner was an interesting affair that evening. Promise didn't say two words, and Jake spent most of his time glaring at Charles. If not for the boys talking a mile a minute, it would have been a total disaster. The twins asked Charles so many questions that Jake was sick of hearing him talk. It wasn't that he didn't think Charles was a good man—he actually would have liked him under different circumstances. To his credit, Charles was even patient answering the many questions from the twins, and that only aggravated Jake more.

When Victoria saw that Charles was unable to take a bite before answering another question, she told the boys to give him time to enjoy his dinner. That brief reprieve gave her time to ask questions of her own.

“How was your dinner date, Luke?” she asked sweetly.

“Long. The fried chicken was great, but just like Colt said, it wasn't worth putting up with old man Detrick for a couple of hours.”

Colt chuckled. “I did try to warn you. But their cook makes really good fried chicken.”

“Really?” Victoria didn't realize her husband was so familiar with the dinner fare at Detrick's.

Hearing the tone in his wife's voice, Colt added, “Of course, I haven't eaten there in a long time. I just assume they still have the same cook.”

Jake smirked watching his brother squirm.

Colt saw Jake grinning like a Cheshire cat, so he asked, “How about your dinner date, Jake? Was it enjoyable?”

Promise didn't look at Jake, but she listened intently for his response.

Jake knew that question was coming, but he was expecting it to come from Victoria. “I wouldn't call it a date, but the dinner was very good,” he answered politely.

“Of course it was a date. When a woman cooks for you, that's a date,” Luke said, adding fuel to the fire.

“Mavis always was a good cook,” Colt said before he realized the consequences.

Victoria glared at her husband. “I didn't realize you ate that often at her house.”

Oh no
, Colt thought.

“At least you were alone with Mavis. Old man Detrick didn't give me one minute alone with Sally,” Luke lamented.

Thank God for Luke
, Colt thought. He ignored his wife's question. “Where were the hellions?” he asked Jake, referring to Mavis's children.

“They were spending the night at her parents' house.”

“I can't believe you were all alone with Mavis. I bet you even got a good-night kiss. Detrick was between us the whole time,” Luke complained. “Colt, didn't you tell me Mavis was a good kisser?” Luke was having a grand old time, and grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh really?” Victoria said, arching a brow at her husband.

“Luke,” Colt enunciated in a low, warning tone. His little brother didn't know much about women if he was talking about how good another woman kissed with a man's wife within earshot.

Luke was having too much fun with this particular conversation, and Colt didn't scare him. He looked at Jake. “Well, did she kiss good or not?”

No doubt about it, Jake was going to kill Luke as soon as dinner was over and he got him outside.

“Uncle Jake, did you get a kiss?” Cody asked, and punched his brother in the arm. They both puckered their lips and made smacking sounds before they said “phew” at the same time.

“Pa, did you kiss Jake's lady too?” Cody asked, shocked that his pa had kissed someone other than his ma.

Colt didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't want to lie to the boys, but with Victoria looking at him like he was never again going to set foot in their bedroom, he was sorely tempted. He formed a diplomatic reply, but another rapid-fire question came in time to save him.

“Uncle Jake, are you gonna get in the family way?” Cade asked.

Jake looked at Colt, hoping he would put a stop to the questions, but it looked like his brother was about to burst out laughing.

Cody rolled his eyes at his brother. “Girls get that way. He means, are you gonna have kids now that you were kissing?”

“No.” Jake felt his face turning red. He couldn't exactly say that he kissed Mavis. She more or less threw herself at him and kissed him. He didn't think it would be polite to push her away.

“But Pa said that lady you was kissing had lots of kids,” Cody added.

“I think she has to move into his room and then do a lot of kissing, like Ma and Pa,” Cade said earnestly.

Cody looked confused. “Uncle Luke said a lady has to swallow a watermelon seed, like Ma did, to get in the family way, and do a lot of kissing.”