Over the Edge (35 page)

“I always figured it went all the way to hell.” Ethan came up beside Rafe and looked down.

“You’re right,” Seth said. “It’s nothing . . . I’m going down there.”

Rafe caught Seth’s arm. “No, that’s reckless. We don’t know if the floor’s solid or not.”

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Seth looked at Rafe, then at Ethan. It was a painful moment. A clear moment. Rafe being in control, Ethan feeling everything too deeply, Seth being reckless.

But they were doing it as men. Strong men with common sense. Seth laughed.

Before long, his brothers joined in.

Well, two of them anyway.

“Nothing funny about this,” Heath said. The pint-sized kid was the only one of them with any real sense—at least when it came to this pit. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t obsessed with this hole in the ground. He was curious, though, like any young boy his age.

Seth’s laughter died when he noticed Heath picking up the rusted-out lantern. “You know, I always figured that lantern shouldn’t be moved.”

Heath frowned. “Why would you leave it here?”

“I guess I always thought of it as a kind of tombstone. In a lot of ways we all died that day. And came back different. I wasn’t innocent anymore. I knew the cost of my recklessness.”

“My childhood died,” Rafe said.

Ethan crossed his arms. “Our whole family died.”

Heath shrugged. “No one died. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like you found yourselves in a tight spot and you were tough enough to get yourselves out. Seth’s got some ugly scars, but he still managed to marry about the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. She’s way too good for him.”

“I have to admit, that’s the truth,” Seth said.

“It is for a fact,” Callie called out from the rim above.

“The nightmares are annoying, though. Can you stop that?” Heath asked.

“I’ll try.” Seth thought he really might be able to after today.

“And Julia and Audra are way nicer’n either of you deserve.” Heath looked from Rafe to Ethan.

“No denying that,” Ethan said.

Rafe shrugged. “I married well.”

“And it sounds like your ma was on the crazy side.”

Heath sounded real chipper about that. Seth suspected it was because the boy’s own ma had been a real fine woman.

“And heaven knows our pa was worthless,” Heath went on. “He didn’t take care of us worth a lick. It’s a wonder any of us grew up to amount to much with him as an example.”

Funny but Seth had never really thought of his pa as worthless. Well, maybe he’d thought it a few times since he found out about Heath. But now he
was
thinking about it and the boy had a point.

“I think you got through that day in good shape,” Heath said. “I mean, if Ethan hadn’t dropped the lantern that burnt you, and if Rafe hadn’t pulled so hard that he and Ethan both cracked their heads till they were both stupid, and if you’d have jumped into that black hole to hide from the fire . . . well, you’d’ve all been fine. But that would’ve been a loco thing to do without knowing how deep it was. Things like that happen when you’re in a tight spot. Yep, I think you handled it pretty well.”

Ethan rubbed the back of his head, while Rafe touched the scar on his temple. Seth didn’t bother touching his scars. It was too hard to pick just one.

“You know what, Heath?” Seth said.

“What?” That sullen expression was back. Heath wasn’t about to admit he wanted his brothers to like him.

Seth smiled at him. “I think having a little brother is going to be fun.”

“Yeah, finally someone you’re tough enough to beat up.” Ethan added his charming grin.

“I can take you any day. I’d prove it too, if you were worth the bother.” Seth slapped Ethan on the back just a little too hard.

Even bossy Rafe found a chuckle. “We’ll whip ’em both into shape when we’ve got a few spare seconds, Heath.”

Heath gave in to temptation and let the corners of his mouth turn up.

The Kincaid men stood there, in that pit that was the heart of all their worst fears, and laughed.

“Let’s go home.” Seth turned and scaled the pit like it was a stairway. Why hadn’t he ever climbed down here in all these years? “I want to spend the rest of this day with my wife.”

When they reached the top, Rafe said, “Heath, we’re going that way.” He pointed to the other side of the pit.

“You sure?” Heath sounded skeptical.

“I want you to come home with me for a time, and learn to obey your big brother. Let’s go.”

“Huh, never gonna happen,” Heath muttered.

“The men will have the cattle settled in by now so you don’t need to traipse over.” Rafe nodded at Ethan and Seth. “I’ll bring Connor home tomorrow. Julia’s all worked up about a letter I fetched from town this morning from some magazine. It sounds like they’re going to publish her writings. She’s gonna want more pictures, Callie. She’ll probably ride over with me in the morning to talk about it.”

Seth groaned.

“We’ll see about drawing when I’ve got some spare time,” Callie said.

Ethan said, “I’ve got horses in the corral on this side of the gulley, so I’ll head out from here. Bea can ride along.” He turned to Bea. “I’ll send some cowpokes to see you back to Colorado City. I’ll give you a couple of good horses to replace yours; it’ll cut hours off the trip to go this way. Seth, you take Bea’s horses on back to your place along with mine.”

Seth realized he was going to ride away from here with his wife. His lawfully wedded wife, and no one else. “I’ll get them home, Ethan. You can count on me.”

It struck Seth hard that it was true. His brothers could count on him and so could his wife and son.

Heath followed Rafe along the ledge side of the pit. They were soon lost from sight with Rafe’s lantern lighting the way.

Seth grabbed a torch, slid his other arm around Callie’s waist, and they all left the cavern behind.

Seth was surprised to see it was still full daylight. He felt as if he’d been in that cavern forever. Maybe for his whole life. But he’d won the fight.

“I want you to know I expect to pay for the crimes I committed today,” Bea said as they climbed the ladder.

“What crimes?” Callie asked. “Jasper’s who hit me.”

“Jasper hit you?” Seth turned to look Callie over.

“There’s nothing to see.” Callie patted Seth on the arm. “I’ve got a bump, but my hair covers it and I’ll heal.”

“I was party to it,” Bea said. “I was right at his side.”

“I heard you say he’d promised no one would get hurt,” Callie said.

“Don’t matter. I’m turning myself in. The law can decide, one way or another. Where’d Jasper’s diamonds ever get to, anyway?”

Dead silence fell over the group. Seth wasn’t sure the rest of them had thought of the diamonds up until now. But he sure had. He figured the rest of them were remembering exactly where those diamonds were. Ethan hadn’t been along when they’d stashed them, but he knew well enough. No tool, or ladder, or rope Seth could imagine would ever be able to get the diamonds out of that deep, deep hole.

Suddenly it struck Seth as purely ridiculous that they’d had so much trouble over a tiny pile of shiny rocks.

“We hid the diamonds in the cave that collapsed,” Seth replied. “They’re unreachable now.” He didn’t see the sense of giving a thorough explanation. “Jasper can guard those diamonds for all eternity.”

It might be better than the fate Jasper had before him, but who was to know how much time Jasper had to think as he fell to his death? Maybe enough time to make his peace with God.

“He wanted those diamonds more than he wanted a wife or love or God. I guess now he’s got them,” Bea said. After that, she didn’t mention Jasper or the diamonds again.

“I’ll be over tomorrow to round up those cattle.” Ethan touched the brim of his hat, and then he and Bea headed for the Kincaid Ranch.

Seth and Callie crossed the gulley, saddled up, and set out for home.

Chapter
32

Seth had his wife all to himself. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he liked it. He had his hands full even missing little Connor, though he was glad the boy would be back home tomorrow.

“You really remember marrying me, Seth?” Callie asked.

Earlier they’d had a quiet dinner, and their time together was exactly what Seth needed.

“Every second of it,” he said. Seth sat next to her by the fire, enjoying the crackling flames without hearing a word they said. Maybe fire didn’t talk, after all. “More than anything else, I remember how much I love you.”

She turned from watching the fire and smiled. Her hair had flashes of flame in the black silk. He rose and pulled her out of the rocking chair, and she didn’t hesitate one second as he took her into his arms.

“And what about you, Callie? Can you ever love me after I abandoned you?”

Her strong, clever hands brushed across his shoulder. She slipped one hand in at his collar and touched his scars without flinching. “I don’t know if I really did love you when we got married, Seth.”

Those words hit hard. He felt his hopes fade as he considered what it would take to convince her to love a man like him.

“I was drawn to you, and I cared about you, and I was wildly attracted to you . . .”

That got his hopes up a little.

“. . . but I don’t know if a person can really love a stranger. And we didn’t know each other one bit. I realize that now.” After a short pause, she went on, “But, Seth, you’re
not
a stranger anymore. And if I didn’t love you enough before, then today I’ve fallen completely in love with you.”

“Why today of all days? Because I remembered?”

“No, although your remembering has given me hope that the worst of your burdens have been lifted. I hope your mind is working better, clearer. I hope it all goes together with besting your nightmares.”

“Then, what?”

“It was when you came running into that cave.”

Seth grinned and stole a kiss—though it couldn’t really be called stealing when she just handed the kiss right over. “Liked me being a hero, did you? Racing to the rescue.”

“Sure, I liked that. But what I loved is the way I felt when I saw you. Not that you’d saved me, but just that you were there. There was no denying how much I loved my husband showing up. It was love, pure and simple.” She stretched up and kissed him.

Seth wasn’t sure if she’d ever kissed him first before. She’d cooperated a few times when he kissed her, but she’d never started it. He gave the kiss right back in full measure—and then some.

“I shouldn’t say it before we go to sleep, but I don’t think I’m going to have nightmares anymore.” He tried to be subtle, yet he had no knack for subtlety. He did have a knack for sneaking around, though, and this was kind of the same thing. “Should we go on to bed? See if the nightmares come?”

“I reckon it’s time.” Callie smiled and kissed him again.

Time for what exactly, Seth couldn’t say. He wondered, though. He wondered mighty hard.

“I hope you’re right about the bad dreams,” she said. “If they’re gone for good, then we’ll thank the good Lord. If not, we’ll handle it.”

Nodding, Seth said, “Today I faced some of the things that have been haunting me since the accident. I feel like a weight is gone from my mind. For the first time I could look back at what happened without all the childish terror and confusion. I can even be . . . well, sort of proud of myself and my brothers.”

He thought of what Heath had said. The little pint-sized polecat might be the smartest Kincaid brother yet. “We were in a tight spot. I think we handled it pretty well.”

He led her to their room, and she came along so easily that Seth’s heart was pounding by the time they got there.

Once they’d settled in, Callie said, “You forgot to turn the lantern off, Seth.”

“I want to be able to see for a while yet.”

“Okay.” Callie must have decided she could trust him, because she came into his arms.

As they held each other, Seth knew that today, in that cavern, he’d found his soul and made his peace with God.

He knew he’d found his heart too, held in the steady hands of his loving wife.

Now, as he kissed her and she returned his kisses without reservation, he found the safest, sanest place he’d ever been.

And he was here to stay.

Mary Connealy
writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is the author of the acclaimed L
assoed in
T
exas
, M
ontana
M
arriages
, and S
ophie’s
D
aughters
series. Mary has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero, Ivan. They have four grown daughters—Joslyn, married to Matt; Wendy; Shelly, married to Aaron; and Katy—and two spectacular grandchildren, Elle and Isaac. Readers can learn more about Mary and her upcoming books at:

maryconnealy.com

mconnealy.blogspot.com

seekerville.blogspot.com

petticoatsandpistols.com

Books by Mary Connealy