Gabriel's Atonement (30 page)

He stood there, staring down at her. He couldn't explain why he wanted to help her—to not let her go. He longed to ease her burden. To make her life so much easier, and to see her laugh. He turned and walked toward where he'd left the three fish he'd caught earlier.

Somehow in his effort to make atonement to Lara Talbot for killing her husband, he'd fallen in love with her.

Lara stretched, instantly regretting the action that reminded her of yesterday's fall. She yawned, blinking her eyes as she attempted to fully awaken. Birds chirped happily in the trees overhead, and the gentle sound of water lapping over rocks belied the tension ratcheting through her.

She glanced across the dying fire and saw that Gabe had respectfully slept on the far side. He was most likely cold, curled up as he was in the early morning chill with no blanket or fire. He was kind to give his covering to her, even though she had her own quilt.

How could she work for him? How could she be close to him day in and day out and not waver in her desire not to marry another man who gambled?

And she was attracted to Gabe. Not only because he was handsome with his dark hair and sparkling eyes and that cocky grin that made her stomach feel as if she had a live fish swimming circles in it. Much more than that, he was kind. Had gone out of his way to help a stranger, with no ulterior motive but to be of assistance. She couldn't reconcile the good man with the gambler. They seemed like two separate people. Maybe Gabe was telling the truth when he'd said he wanted to change his ways.

She sat up, trying to ignore the pain surging through her as every muscle felt bruised. The ache in her head was less than it had been yesterday, but there was still a dull throb. How was she going to manage the long ride back to her family in her condition?

And for some reason she didn't understand, she'd yet to tell Gabe about her family. He knew she had a son but not an ailing grandfather and a rebellious sister who liked to wander. And then there were the goats.

A smile pulled at her lips as she imagined Gabe chasing Bad Billy when the goat next escaped his pen. The image drew a chuckle from her.

Gabe rolled over, his eyes open. When he saw her, he sat, rubbing his hand across his stubbly jaw. With that shadow of a beard and his hair mussed, he was even more attractive. He flashed a sleepy grin and blinked his eyes several times as if trying to force himself awake. “How did you sleep?”

His voice, always a bit on the deep side, sounded husky this morning—and far too intriguing for her liking.

She cleared her throat. “I must have slept fine. This is the first I remember waking.” A tendril of hair blew across her face, and she tucked it behind her ear. Her hair must look dreadful, judging by the way Gabe stared at her. Yesterday, she braided it and left it down, not wanting to try to keep it pinned up during the long race. She smoothed the wisps of hair surrounding her face then plucked a leaf from atop her head and searched for her satchel.

“What do you need?” Gabe hopped up, his dark pants covered in dirt and grass.

“My satchel, if you don't mind. I'd like to brush the tangles out of my hair.”

While he fetched the bag, she unbraided her hair and ran her fingers through it. Gabe hurried back her way, his steps slowing as he gazed at her with wide eyes. His throat moved as he swallowed and continued to her side. He plopped the bag down then sat on the far side of it and cleared his throat. “We…uh…need to make plans for the day.”

She nodded. “I need to get back. Michael will worry if I'm gone too long.”

“First thing, I need to get into Guthrie and register my claim before someone gets it into his mind to steal it out from under me.”

Lara gasped. “You mean someone might do that? How would you prove it's yours?”

He flashed that cocky grin, and she dropped her gaze, hating the way her insides reacted to his nearness.

“I have a witness to verify my claim.”

Her gaze shot up. “I'm not going with you to Guthrie.”

“You don't have to, unless I need you to prove I got this land first, fair and square.”

“So, when are you going?”

A muscle flicked in his jaw. “I really ought to go right after breakfast. Will you be all right here alone? Are you sure you don't want to ride along?”

She glanced around the desolate valley, wondering if it was wise to stay there alone, but then the starch flowed down her spine again. “I'll be fine. Go—and when you return, I'll start back.”

A worried expression flitted across his face. “What about working for me? I could really use your help, Lara. And I have the funds to pay well.”

“
If
I work for you, it will be for that ten acres of land you offered me. My family needs a permanent home, and it would take years of work to save up enough money to buy land.” She really had no choice. Since she failed to win a claim, this was her only viable option to get her family the home they needed. “I will work for you on one condition.”

Gabe smiled, and one eyebrow cocked up. “And what would that be?”

“I want to pick out my land.”

He seemed to mull over her comment for a long moment, then he nodded. “I'll agree to that—on one condition.”

“Um…what condition?”

“That you pick land along one of the four borders of my claim and not right smack in the middle of it.”

Lara nodded. “That's more than fair. Agreed.”

“It's a deal.” He held out his hand, and she eyed it. Touching him was dangerous, but she had to seal the deal. “I'll shake on it now, but I also want things officially put in writing, so there's no confusion later, especially if you decide to sell the claim at some point.” She reached out, allowing his hand to envelop hers. A hot fire sizzled through her as if she'd been hit by lightning as her palm rested against his. Gabe's self-assured expression deepened, and he captured her gaze with his own. Her heart pounded in her ears as she veered into dangerous waters.

He gently tugged her toward him. “Lara…”

His voice was far too husky—far too appealing. She yanked her hand back, frightened to realize how attracted she was to him. So inappropriate for a new widow. Living around him daily would be a challenge, but at least she'd have her own home to return to at night.

“We'd better eat some breakfast, so you can be on your way. The sooner you go, the sooner you'll get back. I'd very much prefer not to be here alone after dark.”

The sweet moment between them was lost. Gabe nodded, looking disappointed. He stood. “I'll build up the fire and see what there is to eat.”

“I have two cheese sandwiches that need to be eaten.”

He nodded and walked over to the pile of wood he'd collected.

She watched him go, both relieved and frustrated. Why did she have to be attracted to Gabriel Coulter? Everything would be so much easier if she weren't.

N
ear noontime, Gabe rode into Guthrie, more than a bit surprised at the mass of people he encountered. Thousands of tents dotted the land for miles. He imagined the sight resembled a massive army camp. People moved everywhere, carrying wood, hawking food and water, and business after business was open, as if it weren't odd that no one had a building to work from.

His stomach grumbled, but he rode on, anxious to locate the land office and make his claim official. He'd read in the
Homesteader's Handbook
that the land office would be situated near the depot, so he headed there, hoping to find Luke somewhere in the mess of folks. Up ahead, his gaze landed on a small wooden structure, one of the few built so far. He had no doubt that next time he arrived in town there would be many more, because hammering and sawing occurred in almost every direction he looked.

As he dismounted, he thought of all the things he needed to buy: a wagon and team, food supplies, a stove, a bed for Lara and her son, although he could probably make one fairly easily. He'd need rope for supporting the mattress and using around the ranch, and wire for fencing. He blew out a loud sigh as he tied Tempest to a hitching post, and then he walked over and stood behind the last man in line at the land office. Starting from scratch wouldn't be easy, but many besides him would be doing the same thing. And he was in better shape than most because he had money and several rooms of furniture.

An hour later with his claim officially registered and his certificate proving it in his pocket, he went in search of something to eat. A place called Mel's caught his eye, with red-and-white-checkered cloths covering three tall tables. There were no chairs, but a man could stand at the table and eat without having to hold his plate and cup. A large man with muttonchops and bushy eyebrows served him a bowl of ham and beans, the daily special—and the only item on the menu. Lukewarm corn bread and hot coffee finished off the fare. Not the best meal he'd had, but it filled his belly and allowed him to watch the comings and goings of the town.

He needed to finish his business and get back to Lara. He didn't like leaving her alone, especially after the fall she took. She seemed to be all right, but he didn't want to spend any more time in town than necessary.

He rode up and down several of the makeshift streets to see who had the best stock of supplies. It didn't take long to figure out there was one place in particular that had far and above the amount of supplies than the other stores—Hillborne General Store. He tied Tempest to a brand-new hitching post and wandered into the big tent, looking at the stacks of wares as he walked. He hadn't expected to find a store almost as well stocked as one he would see in Kansas City, but someone had been wise and forward-thinking enough to plan ahead. The man had sure taken a risk, because if he hadn't gotten land, he would have been stuck with all of this stock.

As the list in his head grew of things he wanted to take back to camp, Gabe realized he should have first looked into buying a wagon or a packhorse.

A nicely dressed man close to his age smiled. “Can I help you find something, mister?”

Gabe pushed his hat back on his head. “I need more than I can carry. Do you know where I could purchase a wagon and team?”

The blond man rubbed his hand across his jaw. “I've been so busy here that I've hardly left this tent, but I heard some discouraged folks were selling out and hopping the train back to wherever they came from. You might try down near the depot. In the meantime, do you have a list of supplies?”

Gabe shook his head. “I didn't make one because I wasn't sure what all would be available, but I need pretty much everything to start working my land.”

The man's blue eyes sparkled, and he held out his hand. “My name's Mark Hillborne, and I'm guessing you're one of the fortunate men who won a claim yesterday.”

“Gabe Coulter.” He shook hands, smiling. “And yes, I did.” His smile faded when he thought of how Lara had planned on claiming that piece of land before her horse stumbled. He'd make it up to her. “I need a good stock of canned goods, flour, sugar, coffee, beans, rice, shovel, axe, saw, fencing wire.” He blew out a loud breath. “So much it makes my head swim.”

Mr. Hillborne jotted down a list as fast as Gabe spat it out. Then he paused and glanced up. “I hope you're aware that I'm not offering credit, since I don't know anyone here.”

Gabe nodded. “I can pay. I sold horses before the land run and did fairly well.”

Mr. Hillborne chuckled. “I bet you could buy some of those horses back now for a fraction of what you sold them for.”

“I reckon you're right.” He tapped his finger on the table that served as the store's counter. “Why don't you gather me a small supply of food stocks while I go see if I can purchase a wagon. No sense in ordering more than I can carry.”

Mr. Hillborne looked a little disappointed, but he nodded. “I'll be here when you get done.”

Gabe rode Tempest downhill toward the depot. Off to the right, he noticed a half-dozen wagons and a corral of horses and mules and reined his horse toward them. He picked out a decent buckboard and team and dickered with the eager seller until he got the price he wanted, then he returned to Hillborne's. He had a feeling the store's sharp owner wouldn't be as easy to haggle with as the liveryman.

An hour and a half later and a lot poorer, he stood next to his full buckboard. Wouldn't Lara be surprised with all that he'd bought? The cooking and food supplies would make preparing meals much easier for her, as would the big washtub for doing laundry. Tempest nickered at him, probably more than ready to be off.

Gabe wished he could have found Luke, but finding a specific person among thousands was nigh on impossible. He secured Tempest's reins to the tailgate and patted the horse's rump as he walked behind him.

“There's that pocket-pickin' blackleg Gabriel Coulter!”

He spun around, looking for the man who'd slandered his name. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, and an ominous feeling tightened his gut. His gaze landed on a tall man who looked vaguely familiar. How did he know the man?