Silverton: Claims On The Heart (9 page)

Martin took his bowler off of the hat rack beside the door. “I have to be going, too. I have to check on my mill.”

They each lingered a moment.

I'll see you tomorrow,” Collin finally said to Kathleen. “Looks like the weather will be perfect for a picnic.”

Was he deliberately antagonizing Martin? Why couldn't he simply have gone away without mentioning their plans?

Both men walked out to the street and headed towards town.

Kathleen shut the door and sighed heavily.

Her father stood there regarding her with a frown. “I don't know why you let that McAllister hang around. Are you trying to make Martin jealous? I don't think it's a very charitable thing to do if you are. He's already made it plain that he likes you.”

“I'm not trying to make anyone jealous. I didn't plan on having them here together. Martin showed up uninvited.”

Papa set their lunch on the dining table. “I'm sure he came by to see if he could help.”

“Collin had already volunteered to help. Martin just made it awkward.”

“I just hope you don't regret the way you're behaving some day. You could wind up with either a solid business man or some romantic gad-about who never settles down. You worry me, Kathleen.”

She patted her father's hand. “Don't worry about me. When I fall in love it will be with someone who is as responsible as you've always been.” She hoped she was telling the truth, because Collin McAllister had already captured a small part of her heart.

 



 

Outside, Martin paused to face Collin as they walked. “You're a fool, McAllister. You're reaching for something you'll never get. Kathleen may toy with you, but you'll lose in the end.”

Collin fixed Martin with a narrowed gaze. “Isn't that for Kathleen to decide? Or do you intend to send more of your henchmen to scare me away?”

Martin glared, his expression filled with contempt. “If you were smart there'd be no need to warn you. You'd keep to your place in the mine with the other rats.”

Collin balled his fists. He longed to challenge Martin here in the daylight without his hired hooligans. Collin's stocky build and muscles were strengthened by hard work, and his fists trained by hired masters, so he had no doubt about being the victor. Yet, he didn't dare give way to his urge. They were too close to Kathleen's house. If Martin twisted the story, Collin knew he could easily get the blame.

She might change her mind about the picnic. And even the satisfaction of thrashing Martin wouldn't make up for the disappointment. He clenched his jaw and strode away.

Martin called after him. “You keep away from her, you hear? You'll be sorry if you don't.”

Collin kept walking refusing to turn back. He looked forward to the picnic and wouldn't put it in jeopardy.

 



 

The next morning Kathleen padded barefoot to the kitchen while wrapping a shawl about her long cotton gown.

Her father had already risen and started a fire in the stove. A cheery glow shone behind the isinglass window.

Kathleen put slabs of bacon into an iron skillet and set them to sizzle. She filled the coffeepot and began stirring up a batch of biscuits.

Papa returned with another armful of wood. “It's chilly out today. The ground is covered with frost.”

Kathleen looked up from cutting out biscuits. “I could tell. I didn't want to get out of my warm bed.”

“We're nowhere near the worst of winter. Are you going to ride it out snuggled under your quilts?”

Kathleen rose to the bait. “I didn't let the winters in St. Louis stop me. Even if it's colder here, I won't let it keep me inside.”

She saw his grin.

“If you tease me I'll let our bacon burn.”

He shook his head, still grinning. “I can't imagine a little cold weather stopping you. Nothing else ever has.”

They ate their breakfast enjoying fresh strawberry jam with the biscuits. Papa had traded a townswoman two tins of canned food for the jam. “The lady with whom I traded said she'd take you along next year in the summer and show you the best spots for berries,” Papa said.

Kathleen nodded as she finished her meal. “If we had extra, we could sell it to the miners.”

“Bet they'd like it.”

She glanced at the clock on the cupboard. “We'd better get ready if we want to get to church.” She washed up the dishes, and then hurried to get dressed. As she brushed her hair and pulled it back from her face, her thoughts wandered to Collin. Would she see him at church? Perhaps she could manage to sit beside him.

She frowned as she remembered how Martin had been waiting to claim her last Sunday. Would he be lurking again just inside the doors? She sighed. She liked Martin. Yet she would like him better if he was not so possessive.

She wrapped her shawl around the shoulders of the sensible muslin dress that had been fitted for her last winter. She wondered if it would still be in style this season. She suspected that fashion here was a season or two behind St. Louis. And simpler, too. There would probably be few occasions to wear the dressier clothes that she had taken from her trunk and smoothed carefully before hanging in her new wardrobe.

They fell in with the small crowd making its way towards the open door of the church.

Martin smiled adoringly as he slipped in beside her. “You look lovely this morning.”

She looked into his dark eyes and smiled. “Thank you.” Inside, she scanned the congregation.

Collin sat alone on a back pew.

With expert ease Martin grasped her elbow and steered her towards the center pews.

Her heart sank at missing the chance to sit beside Collin. Judging by his hardened expression, he felt the same way.

Yet without making a scene there was nothing she could do. She felt calmed by the words, the songs, and the atmosphere of worship. And best of all, paying attention to the service allowed her to ignore Martin as he pressed next to her on the bench.

As the pastor closed in benediction, Kathleen hoped that Martin wouldn't linger when they left the church. She was anxious to get home and prepare the picnic.

Collin had already left by the time she passed his pew. No matter, they would have the afternoon to spend together.

In the churchyard, Papa greeted various customers he had tended at the store.

Kathleen, dogged by Martin, found Nancy.

They greeted each other as cheerfully as if they had not been together in weeks.

“I'm dying to see what you've done with the house,” Nancy said.

“Come over tomorrow and I'll give you a tour.”

“What about this afternoon?” Martin suggested. “We could go by your house. Then I'll take everyone to lunch at the hotel.”

Kathleen frowned. “You know I can't do that.”

Martin grimaced. “Oh, yes, you have plans with that miner. McAllister, isn't it?”

Nancy's eyes widened with surprise. “Do you?”

Kathleen felt the heat rise to her face as she became the center of attention. “Yes I do. And I can't change my plans now.”

“Oh, please, Kathleen. It would be such fun to go to lunch. I've never been to lunch at the hotel,” Nancy wheedled.

Kathleen felt trapped as she stared into her friend's wide brown eyes, hating to disappoint her and resenting Martin. He knew perfectly well that she had a picnic planned with Collin. He was using his money in the form of a lunch offer as a bribe to put pressure on her. He had put her in this awkward position and he had done it on purpose.

“I'm sure Papa would be glad to show you the house.” Kathleen's tone was cold. “Then you can all go along to the hotel.”

Nancy bit her lip. “It'd be no fun without you.”

Martin's expression tightened. “I wouldn't even consider it.”

“Then perhaps Martin will be kind enough to offer again on a day when I can accept.”

Nancy sighed. “Have your own way, though I don't understand why you'd hesitate to break your plans. He's only a miner and Martin…well…Martin's a gentleman.”

“Doesn't a gentleman honor commitments?” When no one answered, she knew she had them.

Papa broke free of his conversation.

“I have to go now. Come by the house this week, Nancy,” Kathleen invited. “I'd like your advice on rugs.” She turned without waiting for anyone to reply.

As she joined Papa, she knew that she had not heard the last about this from Nancy. No one understood what she saw in Collin. But if she did not follow her heart to see where it led, she would wonder about it for the rest of her life.

She fell in step beside her father. She had chicken to fry and corn pone to mix. It might not compare to the hotel, but she doubted Collin would complain.

 

 

 

 

7

 

Collin didn't come to the picnic empty-handed. When she opened the door, he offered her a nosegay of fragrant wildflowers; probably the last hardy blooms left in the meadow, for the frost was quickly robbing the flowers of their beauty.

Kathleen smiled. “They're perfect.”

“You can't buy larkspur at the furniture store.” A dent showed on his cheek as he grinned.

Kathleen sniffed the flowers. “I intend to enjoy these. As cold as it's getting in the mornings I'm guessing it'll be a long time before I smell flowers again.”

“I picked them after church. I'd hoped to walk you home, but I took a walk instead.”

“I'll just be a minute,” Kathleen said as she took the flowers away to get a vase of water. She returned to set them on the small table beside the settee. “Papa is getting his fishing rod. I hope you don't mind if he fishes while we hike. He's very protective of me.”

“I don't mind. I can show him where the trout are biting.”

Kathleen settled a gingham sunbonnet on her head that matched her blue checked dress, and then gathered up their lunch basket.

Papa joined them. His round face beamed in expectation. “I haven't been fishing in years. When I was a boy, Jack and I used to sneak off and fish a creek not far from my Pa's store. We skipped school. When we got caught we got a whipping from Pa. Didn't stop us, though.” He chuckled at the memory.

“I never fished until I came out here,” Collin admitted. “Some of the boys at the mine took me out and showed me how. We fried up enough brown trout for a good supper. The creek will be freezing soon, though.”

“Then let's get at it.” Papa charged through the door. He halted abruptly when he reached the street. “Which way?”

Collin took the picnic basket from Kathleen as they caught up with him. “I thought we'd hike Mineral Creek. There'll be flowers and a little waterfall for Kathleen, and the fish should be biting.” Collin took the lead and guided them out of town towards the stream that snaked down the canyon from Red Mountain Pass.

They hiked through a meadow filled with the summer remains of goldenrod and hellebore. Soon they traded the sunshine of the meadow for a cool hike through spruce and fir that edged a winding stream.

Collin advised Papa about fishing along the creek.

Kathleen pushed the sunbonnet back from her face leaving it to dangle by the stings down her back.

“Want to see that waterfall?” Collin asked.

She nodded. “I've never seen one.”

“Don't expect too much. It's a small one. I've heard there are some that crash down for a hundred feet or more.”

Kathleen sucked in a breath. “That must be spectacular.”

“Maybe we can find one sometime.”

They hiked among some stones where a tiny cascade spilled over jutted rocks to join the main flow.

The rippled flow gurgled merrily towards Kathleen. She leaned down and dipped a finger into the water. “It's cold.”

Collin chuckled. “Gets snow melt higher up.”

She began to pick her way towards the fall and stepped out onto one of the rust-colored rocks to get closer to the fall.

“Careful, it's slippery,” Collin warned.

With a little shriek, Kathleen slid off, tilting sideways as she flailed her arms in a fruitless attempt to regain her balance.

Collin closed his arms around her, lifting her out of the stream.

“That was foolish of me. Now you've got your feet all wet,” she said.

He stamped his feet. “I don't think it got through my boots.”

His hands were still on her arms, his gaze resting on her face. Sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating warm amber flecks in his green eyes.

“Are you cold?” he murmured, pulling her to his chest.

The rapid thud of his heart was keeping time with hers. He swayed gently, and she closed her eyes. Nothing else existed except the two of them alone in the universe.

He pressed his lips against the soft curls on her forehead. “You smell good,” he said.

She ran her hands along his arms.

His lips nuzzled along her temple.

She raised her face to rub her cheek against his shaven chin, opening her eyes as he kissed the end of her nose.

“You're so beautiful,” he whispered.

His eyes were so green, green as the leaves, green as she imagined the shamrocks on an Irish hill. She could almost hear the forest whispering encouragement, filled with mythical creatures and leprechauns peeking out from behind the trees. She felt a magic about Collin, as though he was able to transport her to another world, a fantasy where she was a princess and he was her prince.

He bent and brushed her lips gently, tentatively. His lips were warm and inviting.

Kathleen closed her eyes and let him mold her against him, his kiss becoming firm, seeking her response. She twined her fingers into his thick dark hair and lost herself to the pleasure of his touch.