Kaitlin's Silver Lining (24 page)

Unable to determine
who might be calling so late in the evening, she shrugged into her coat and
picked up the rifle. After making sure it was loaded, she pushed open the door.
Lifting the Winchester to her shoulder, she planted her feet apart and took up
watch on the front porch.

When the rider
finally came into view, she lowered the weapon and waited for him to dismount.

“You certainly know
how to make a fellow feel welcome.” Bryce dismounted with the grace of a
mountain lion. The comparison didn’t make her feel any safer.

“You weren’t expected
for another two weeks. Can’t say I like surprises.”

Bryce made no other
comments as he casually walked the horse to the barn. She followed, curious as
to his intentions. With James gone and no other threats made against her life,
she saw no reason for him to stay at the cabin with her.

She stood in the open
doors of the barn, watching as he unsaddled Burlap. Even with his layers of
clothing, she appreciated the fluid way his body moved. Spurs rattled as he
pulled the saddle and blanket from his horse and tossed them onto a rail. The
bridle followed. Finding a brush, he curried the horse with gentle but sure
strokes, all the while crooning to the faithful steed.

His actions indicated
his plans to stay. Bryce hadn’t even asked, just put Burlap into a stall and
bedded the horse down for the evening as if he owned the place. She should be
used to his domineering ways, but she wasn’t. Not when it meant he planned to
be here with her. Alone.

“You aren’t thinking
of staying here, are you?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“Thought I would.”

“You didn’t think to
ask me?”

“Are you objectin’?”

She should, but he
looked weary to the bone. Everything he’d done so far, he’d done for her. She
owed him more courtesy than she was showing.

She tilted her head.
“I suppose you can bed down in the barn, then. There’s not enough room in the
cabin, and it wouldn’t be right even if there was.”

She leaned the rifle
against the wall and bundled her coat closer to her body, knowing the request
was unreasonable. The barn wouldn’t afford the warmth her cabin would provide,
yet she felt the need to voice her objections.

His shoulders sagged.
“Fine.”

“I’ve got the place
fixed up some. Sarge sends his men out to check on me at least once a day.”

His head lifted and
his gaze locked with hers. “Does this mean you’ve patched things up with your
pa?”

“I’m...I’m a bit more
open to his overtures, so yes, we’re working on it.” Steam floated from her
lips, and she shivered.

He stepped away from
his horse. “Got any vittles left over from dinner?”

She stared at his
ruddy cheeks and the bits of ice clinging to his mustache and felt her heart
thaw. “I’ve got a pot of stew buried in the snow. I can retrieve it and warm a
plate for you.”

“That sounds like
heaven,” he said, closing the stall gate. Not waiting to see if she followed,
he started for the cabin.

“That wasn’t an
invitation to...to go inside.” She grabbed the gun and followed him. His
assumption that he’d be welcome after she expressly told him no hit a nerve.

“Relax.” He continued
on his chosen path, exiting the barn. “I’ll eat a bite then make a pallet in
the barn.”

Moisture gathered
behind her eyelids and she blinked back tears, amazed at the turmoil generated
by her confused thoughts. One part of her had hankered for his return, waiting
anxiously through the week for the day he’d ride back into her life. Yet,
another part of her fought against the feelings Bryce elicited. A gust of
bitter cold wind pelted her. Cradling the rifle, she followed him inside.

He immediately headed
for the fireplace and rubbed his hands briskly together while he stood, warming
his body. She shut the door behind her and went to the fire to stand beside
him, keeping the coat on for added protection, whether from the cold or from
Bryce, she couldn’t say.

“Did you travel the
whole way in this weather or did you take the train?”

“The train.” He
turned so his back was to the fire. “I couldn’t see makin’ Charley travel on
horseback for four days, when the train would get us here faster. Burlap didn’t
take well to the confined space, though. Once we got off the train, it only
took half a day by horse. By the way, I left Charley at the main house with
Sarge.”

Kaitlin nodded. She
wondered how Sarge was handling Bethany’s daughter. For Charley’s sake, she
hoped he didn’t give her a hard time. Surely, he wouldn’t hold Bethany’s sins
against his own granddaughter.

Without looking at Kaitlin,
Bryce removed his trench coat. He draped the coat over the back of a chair, and
removed his hat. The Stetson left a creased mark around his thick hair while
the rest of his sandy, blond locks fell in unruly waves, evidence of the wind
that had whipped around him as he traveled. His cheeks were chapped red with
cold, a strong contrast to the dark stubble that covered his lower jaw. Deep
brown eyes met her ardent perusal with direct purpose, never wavering as they
took her measure. She continued drinking in the sight of him, allowing herself
the pleasure of admiring him. He wore chaps over trousers strapped tight around
his legs, emphasizing the tight muscles in his buttocks. She swallowed,
uncomfortable with the direction of her thoughts.

He grinned, obviously
pleased with her interest in him. “I missed you, too.”

She narrowed her
eyes, unwilling to admit she’d yearned for his presence. “I’ll get you some
supper. You can wash up at that basin.”

They said very little
to each other while she prepared him a meal. She set the meager helping in
front of him with a glass of cold milk. He ate silently while she watched. He
grimaced at the first bite but refrained from complaining. The first batch
hadn’t been all that appetizing, but a warmed-over helping had to taste even
worse. She’d over-salted it, but it was filling and all she had to offer.

She took a seat at
the table while he ate. Strange, but the silence felt comfortable. Would it
have been this way if things had worked out for her and James? Would they have
worked hard all day to come home to a quiet evening spent enjoying each other’s
company? She gave herself a mental shake. James had tried to kill her. He and
Bryce were worlds apart.

“You plannin’ to keep
that coat on all night?”

She shrugged but
slipped out of it. “I guess it is silly to wear it inside. I’m feeling warmer
now.” And safer, though admitting it to Bryce would only make his head swell.

He nodded, glancing
around the sparsely furnished room. “Sarge said you’ve been stayin’ here since
I left. Any particular reason why?”

A ton of reasons
topped the list, but none she wanted to share. “I don’t need an excuse to stay
on my land.”

“You’re as prickly as
a cactus in summer. You’re always on the defensive with me. I wasn’t tryin’ to
pry into your business. I just thought to make conversation.”

“I’m...I’m sorry,
Bryce. You always push and push, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond.”
She traced the wood grain on the tabletop with her finger. “Prying into my
business seems to be your favorite pastime. Did you discover anything more when
you went back to Denver?”

He stiffened and
dropped his spoon into his bowl of stew. “I meddle because I care. And if you
weren’t so all fired secretive, we could probably solve this case a lot
faster.”

Her breath caught.
Had he just admitted to deeper feelings? “It’s hard to let someone into my life
when I’ve been on my own for so long.”

He rested his chin
against his folded hands with his elbows propped on the table and studied her.
After a long silence, his mouth curved into a gentle smile. “I’m sorry, too. I
don’t mean to act like a bully, but it frustrates me that you really don’t need
me. You’re a strong woman, Katy, and it makes me feel out of sorts. I want you
to need me and you don’t. You don’t seem to need anyone.”

She’d had a lot of
time to think and still no answers, but she wouldn’t get any answers until she
learned to trust her heart.

“You’re so wrong,”
she whispered. In a stronger voice, she continued, “I’ve been thinking about
things. I came close to losing my life, and it got me to wondering. And
wondering made me wish. You might find it hard to believe, but I don’t like
being alone, never have. Everything you know about me is just a bluff. I
started working for the suffrage movement to prove to James and Sarge I didn’t
need a man in my life. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in the cause, but I’m
tired of being in the lead. I want other things for myself. Believe it or not,
I do want a family, a home. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday. Getting
shot at gave me a whole new perspective.”

“You’re thinkin’
about givin’ a go at this ranch again, aren’t you?” He plopped another bite
into his mouth and grimaced.

She nodded. “I’d
forgotten how much I enjoyed the day-to-day challenges. I’ve been living the
last two years for other people. I want to live for myself, now.”

He glanced at her
suspiciously. “Those notes don’t have anything to do with your change of heart,
do they?”

“What do you mean?”

“The notes told you
to leave Denver, and now that’s just what you’re thinkin’.”

“You think I’m
running?” The hardships she had endured on her land far outweighed the trials
she’d faced in Denver. How could that possibly be construed as running?

“Aren’t you?”

Her brow furrowed.
“I’ve never run from anything in my life.”

Bryce sighed. Pushing
his half-eaten meal away from him, he leaned back in the chair. “All right.
Let’s test your theory. What are your feelings for me? Your honest feelings.”

She fell back in her
chair, her mouth agape. How in the world could she explain something she wasn’t
even sure of? A few days ago, she’d entertained the idea of asking Bryce to
move out here with her as her foreman. Surely, growing up on a ranch would give
him the necessary skills. She’d since talked herself out of the idea, unable to
say why exactly. She felt so mixed up. Normally, her self-confidence allowed
her to tackle any obstacle, but Bryce made her question her desires. He made
her question herself.

“I...I don’t know
what you’re asking.”

“I think you do.” He
crossed his arms over his chest and bore holes into her soul with his hard
gaze.

“Is this about that
kiss again? We...we both got carried away in the emotions of the moment, so
don’t go thinking that kiss had any meaning attached to it.” She licked her
lips, wanting to confess her heart’s true desire but afraid to take the first
step. Bryce’s question threatened the tight rein she held on her emotions.
Come
on, Kaitlin. Open your heart.

“I don’t particularly
care for liars, Katy. Lie all you want to yourself, but don’t lie to me.”

Kaitlin stood and
grabbed the dirty plate and fork. She carried them to the basin but turned at
the last minute. “You really want to know what I’m thinking? I’m...I’m thinking
you can wash your own plate.”

Bryce stood and took
the plate from her trembling fingers. His actions were slow, methodical. He
scraped the uneaten contents into a tin can, then reached around so his arms
encircled her, and dropped the plate into the water. “If I can wash it this
way, with my arms around you, I’ll gladly do the dishes every day for the rest
of our lives.”

She froze.
Every
day for the rest of their lives?

He pushed her back
until she leaned against the preparation table. With his arms still around her,
he soaped the chipped pottery. With no room to move, he pressed closer. The
maneuver brought her into his warmth. A whiskered cheek rubbed against her own
as he pressed his lips to the hollow of her neck.

“Let me go—please.”

“Not until the
plate’s clean.” The water basin sloshed behind her. She felt the hardness of
his pelvis, and her heart raced.

“You’re getting me
wet.”

He laughed again, a
soft, seductive sound that went straight to her mid-section. “That’s the whole
plan.”

She wasn’t sure she
understood his innuendo, but she imagined where his mind traveled at the
moment. The intimacies shared between a man and woman still mystified her, but
she knew enough. Bryce had overstepped the boundaries. Allowing his advances
meant giving up control and letting the protective shell she’d erected crumble
into pieces.

She shoved at his
chest, but her hands went still upon his solid form. Beneath her fingers, she
felt the steady beat of his heart. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Why? We both want
the same things out of life. There’s no reason I can think of that we can’t
want those things together,” he replied before pressing his lips to hers. The
touch of his warm mouth unraveled her carefully erected wall. She offered no
resistance, too stunned to react. His moist lips teased and invited. He kissed
her as if she were the only woman alive. Her mouth opened, allowing his tongue
to explore at will. She moaned. Encouraged, he molded his body to hers.
Suddenly, it was as if he couldn’t get enough. He seemed to want to devour her,
to taste every inch of her essence. She melted into his need, unable to stop.