Over the Edge (22 page)

“And Heath, too,” Callie reminded him with a sweet smile that did not match the glint of anger in her black eyes.

Seth remembered for the first time in quite a while that Callie had taken a shot at him when he’d come upon the stagecoach holdup.

But she’d had a real bad day. It’s not like she’d shot at him
lately
.

A smile lifted his lips as he thought of some real nice things Callie had done lately. “So, Heath, are you sure you don’t want to go on home with Ethan, get to know the old homeplace where our pa lived all those years?”

Heath scowled. “Pa didn’t live there, he
visited
. He
lived
with me and my ma.”

“Was Pa nice to you then? Because he was a grouch most of the time with us.” Seth decided just a little bit of honesty right now might make a difference. “I always figured he hated me.” He looked down at his plate so the hurt didn’t show for the whole room to see. “I almost killed myself and my brothers in that cavern.”

“It was because of me.” Ethan eased back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I hurt you, bullied you. I pushed you over the edge. All those nightmares were my fault. I confessed to Ma and Pa and they . . . Ma just started crying. She seemed to give up on all of us. After that, Pa was gone more than he was home. I’m the one who destroyed our family.”

“It wasn’t because of either of you.” Rafe shoved his plate aside. “He told me to take care of you and I didn’t. I lost control of the situation. Seth wouldn’t have had nightmares. Ethan wouldn’t have blamed himself. Ma wouldn’t have taken to her rocking chair. And Pa—I reckon Pa wouldn’t have decided he needed a better family.”

“All that means is, it was my fault.” Seth hated admitting it, but it was worse thinking his brothers blamed themselves. “And I was always a little crazy, Eth, even before the accident.”

Ethan shook his head. “No, you weren’t—”

“Seth, it wasn’t your fault,” Rafe interrupted.

“And I think,” Callie said, her voice cracking like a bullwhip in a way that shut all three of them up, “a grown man with
two
wives and
two
sets of children is a worthless heap of buffalo chips, and the fact that you can all sit here feeling guilty, long after he’s dead, is proof of just how worthless he was. It’s a parent’s job to take care of his children, not run off when times get hard. I don’t know your ma, Heath, but she sounds like she took good care of you for as long as she lived.”

Heath nodded. “She did. And Ma could hunt, so we always had food. She tended our milk cows. She had chickens and a big garden. Pa was . . . well, he was gone from us a lot. He chased after gold some during the rush, but never found any I could see. And he was a fur trapper. That took him away a lot, too.”

“Then I’d say of the three parents in these families, she’s the only one who’s worth a lick of salt. Sittin’ around cryin’ like your ma did, Seth, or running off like your pa did to all of you is just plain worthless.” Callie’s eyes flashed, and then the flash changed and she clamped her mouth shut.

But Seth knew she had more to say. “What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing. I’ve said my piece. Let’s get finished eating and—”

“Callie!” He realized it was the first time he’d snapped at her. For some reason it felt good. He pictured another time, a memory of being married. He’d been wrestling with her and her temper flared, then it flipped into passion. Oh, he had a nice vivid memory of that. At last.

Her eyes narrowed in a way that should have been threatening, but instead he wanted to grab her and drag her into his arms and calm her all the way down.

“I’m . . . I’m just wondering.” Callie’s eyes slid around the room. “How many other wives and children he had.”

All Gavin Kincaid’s children fell silent. And since they’d been doing most of the talking, it left a big, old quiet room.

Finally Seth pushed his chair back. “I’m going with Julia to hide those diamonds. And I want to show Callie the cave. We’ll ride over to the new shack around midday.”

He turned and looked at Julia and then Callie. Julia smiled and began pulling on her coat. She moved quick enough that Seth was sure she wanted to get away before Rafe found something else to fuss about.

Callie went to Connor and picked him up. “I’ll change his diapers first.”

“No, you go on,” Audra said, reaching for the boy. “Changing diapers is something I’ve had a lot of practice at.”

“I don’t like you going down there without me.” Rafe glared at Julia and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table. But he didn’t demand that she stay out of the cave. He turned to Callie, still tapping. “Seth’s obsessed with that cavern. Every time he goes in it, I’m afraid he won’t ever come back out.”

“I’m coming back, Rafe. I’ve got a son now to take care of.” It was a good reason, but it struck Seth as strange that he actually
needed
a reason. Like coming back out wasn’t real obvious.

“So long as you don’t forget you’ve got him,” Ethan said.

Seth turned to Connor and stared at him. It wouldn’t hurt to spend some time memorizing that he existed.

Connor grinned at him and waved his arms wildly. The tyke’s blue eyes flashed mischief and recklessness. Seth had a stab of fear to realize the boy might be just like him. He wondered how old Connor had to be before Callie’d let Seth and Connor go down in the cavern exploring.

“And Julia finds the place so interesting,” Rafe went on as if no one had interrupted him, “that I swear she doesn’t use much sense when she’s in there.”

“That is such a lie, Rafe Kincaid.” For the crankiness of her words, she didn’t sound that upset. “I am very careful in that cavern and you know it.”

“So,” Rafe said, his eyes on Callie, “since you seem like a sensible young woman—and marrying Seth gives me some doubts about that—”

“Hey!” Seth scowled.

“Hush, Rafe has a point.” Callie patted Seth on the shoulder.

“—I’m counting on you to stay calm in there.” Rafe held her gaze. “Pay attention to the passing time. Come back to the surface and bring both of them with you.”

“We’ll come back.” Callie sounded so sure that Seth was sure, too. He watched his wife strap her six-shooter onto her neat little hip.

Julia thrust Callie’s coat impatiently into her hands. “Let’s get going. We have to make a short day of it.”

While Callie put on her coat, Julia said, “So you like to draw, then?”

Callie whipped her Colt out so fast, Seth blinked and Julia backed up a step.

Ethan and Rafe sprang up from the table, their chairs scraping loudly on the floor.

“Uh . . . ahem.” Julia cleared her throat and stepped forward again. Callie was aiming at the ceiling after all. “I meant you . . . you like to draw
pictures
.”

His wife surely knew how to handle a gun. Seth felt a smile replace the fear, and his chest puffed right up with pride. Neither Julia nor Audra were even close to gunslingers.

“You said you liked my maps yesterday. Surely that’s enough pictures for one hole in the ground.” Callie holstered her weapon with ease.

Watching her, Seth was impressed all over again. He then realized what she’d said. “Pictures? You can draw?”

“Oh, yes, she’s quite good. And we enjoyed ourselves creating those pictures, didn’t we, Callie?” A smile spread across Julia’s face.

“You seemed to be having a good time.” Callie flipped the thong on her pistol so it wouldn’t fall out of its holster.

Rafe sank back into his chair. “So she can draw pictures. Well, say goodbye to your wife, Seth.”

“What difference does it make if I can make a horse look like a horse?” Callie said. She glanced between Julia and Rafe.

“I need someone who can draw.”

“I already finished your map.”

“But there’s so much more. I want pictures of the fossils in the cavern.” Julia already had a lantern, a canteen, and a sack with biscuits in hand. She dropped a chunk of charcoal in her pocket.

“You said that word yesterday. What’d you say a
fossil
is again?”

“I told you yesterday.”

Callie shrugged. “Truth is, you’re kinda boring when you start talking about that cavern, Julia. I missed a good chunk of what you said.”

“Near to put a man to sleep with that cavern talk,” Ethan muttered.

“I’ve often lost track of what you’re saying,” Audra admitted.

“I know what that’s like.” Seth picked up two more lanterns.

Rafe shook his head. “Happens to me all the time.”

“Then I’ll just have to try harder to get you all to understand,” Julia said.

Most everyone in the room groaned, though it didn’t slow Julia down one bit. “Fossils are the bones of long-dead animals. Extinct animals.”

“You want me to draw fish bones like that’ve been left after someone ate lunch?”

Rafe snickered.

Seth couldn’t help but really like his surprise wife.

“I can teach you so much.” Julia swung open the door. It was a crisp fall morning, a good day for building. “And I don’t mind if you ignore me some. I’m happy to repeat myself when I’m talking about the cavern.”

“That is the pure and honest truth,” Audra said.

“I already know how to catch, clean, and cook a fish. I suppose I know how to draw one, too. What more is there?”

Beaming at Callie, Julia said, “Have you ever wanted to see something of your very own, printed in a book?” Julia rested her hand on Callie’s back and gently but firmly shoved her outside.

“No. Never.” Callie looked over her shoulder to give Seth a worried look.

“Well, that’s all right. We don’t have to put your name on it, then.”

Seth didn’t have time to think on Julia’s alarming ambition because he had to hurry to keep up with the womenfolk. “How much time are you going to want her to spend drawing, Julia? She’s got a baby to raise and our cabin is a long ride from here.”

Julia was busy talking to Callie and they ignored him like he was a buzzing gnat. Good thing he was far enough back to not be swatted.

For the first time ever, Seth was afraid he might have to spend a little too much time in that cavern.

“Wait!” Rafe hollered from behind them.

Rafe had a voice that commanded obedience and they all turned around.

“What?” Seth knew Rafe didn’t like them going without him.

“At least pretend like you’ve got some brains in your heads.” Rafe sounded exhausted. “You’re supposed to go down there and hide the diamonds.”

“Don’t worry, we will.” Seth thought of the cavern entrance, suddenly eager to get going.

“Then don’t you think you oughta take them with you?”

Ethan came up behind Rafe, the little cylinder of diamonds in his hand. He held it up, and Seth went back and grabbed it.

“Try and hide it somewhere we can have a hope of finding it again, please,” Rafe said.

It struck Seth that he was being treated like he was somewhat trustworthy—or maybe Callie was just too far ahead for Rafe to talk with her. It wasn’t a common feeling when he was dealing with his brother.

It suited him right down to the ground.

He turned and ran after the women, who were now about halfway across the meadow, heading toward the cavern he adored.

Chapter
21

Callie followed Julia into the cavern and itched to get out. The cavern was interesting enough, but she wanted to get on with important things like settling into her own cabin, checking over the cattle herd, figuring out how to get some chickens, taking care of her baby, and reminding her husband she existed.

As she traipsed along in a big old useless hole in the ground, she wondered if Ethan had enough chickens to share. Or if there was time to ride to Colorado City to buy a few. Chickens were mighty handy to have in the West. Eggs were a good, steady source of food.

Julia pointed at some bones stuck in the rock wall. “I want a drawing of that.”

“Now?” Callie was pulled out of her thoughts of building a hen house. She wondered how long this was going to take.

“Well, maybe not now. But soon. I want to show you something else first.” Julia proceeded farther into the tunnel.

Callie recognized a mistake when she made it. She should have acted eager to draw. Maybe that would keep Julia from going in deeper.

Seth caught up behind Callie and handed her a lantern, so now they each carried one. She took it. He didn’t let go. They had a brief tug-of-war until Callie looked at him and he kissed her.

Her heart warmed and her stomach tingled, and she wished she could trust him, wished it bad, because she had a feeling her insistence that they not risk making any more babies was going to be hard to live with.

“And this is . . .” Julia blathered on about something while she left them behind. Callie hurried after her brand-new sister. She couldn’t quite understand what Julia was saying due to the echoing and Julia leading and talking while facing forward, and Seth being a powerful distraction and Julia not making much sense even when Callie could hear the words.

Callie didn’t figure it mattered much what the woman was saying. Julia loved caves. Strange preference, but harmless. No doubt that love of caves was the bulk of what the woman was yammering about.