Sudden Storms (2 page)

“There ya are, Tommy. Come have a plate,” Jolee coaxed, motioning toward the kitchen table.

Jolee smiled to herself. The girl was as red as a radish.
Leave it to Paxton
, she thought. No doubt he’d nearly dropped his drawers right there in front of her! Still, if Paxton was too mule-stubborn to see what was standing right before his eyes, then it served him right. She wondered how long the girl’s pretending would go on before Paxton figured it all out.

She sighed and shook her head. Knowing her brother as she did, the girl could be doomed to masquerade as a boy forever.

The food Jolee had prepared was pure satisfaction to Rivers. It had been so long since she’d had a decent meal. She enjoyed it thoroughly, savoring every morsel so her mind could think back on it when tougher times came again. She looked up when she’d finished to see Jolee smiling pleasantly at her.

“Jolee! There ain’t one pair of clean flannels in my chest-a-drawers! What do ya expect me to do? Catch my death of cold sleepin’ in my birthday suit?”

Rivers jumped anxiously in her chair as the man strode in and stopped directly beside her. He stood with only a towel wrapped about his waist and nothing else to cover him.

“For pity’s sake, Pax! You’re drippin’ all over my clean floor! Towel off before ya go trampin’ through the house!” Jolee scolded.

The proximity of the unclothed man caused Rivers’s reflexes to spring her from her chair so violently that it toppled over backward, crashing to the floor.

“He sure is a jittery little feller, ain’t he?” the man said to his sister.

Rivers mumbled an apology and bent to pick up the chair. Her gaze fell spontaneously to Paxton’s feet, standing in a small puddle of water rapidly accumulating around them. Rivers couldn’t stop her eyebrows from rising in astonishment as her gaze involuntarily continued up the length of his solid, muscular calves. As she stood, replacing the chair, her eyes traveled over his stomach, chest, and arms. His own fabulous eyes were fastened on her when she straightened at last, looking him full in the face.

His hair hung dripping wet about his head, and he said, “You all right there, boy?” Rivers could only nod in response. “Well then, where might a drownin’ man find his flannels, Jolee?” he repeated, sighing with impatience at his sister.

Jolee giggled. “I’m sorry, Pax. I plum forgot to bring ’em in off the line. I’ll run out and get a pair.” With a sideways glance and mischievous smile at Rivers, she left.

Rivers squirmed uncomfortably. Standing in a stranger’s kitchen with a scantily clad man was most disconcerting. Even so, she couldn’t keep her eyes from straying once more to the magnificently broad shoulders and chest boasted by Paxton Gary. He was perfect! Rivers had seen many men, cowboys, rail-riders—but never had she seen the likes of Paxton Gray.

She jumped as he spoke unexpectedly and slapped her soundly on one shoulder. “Don’t worry there, boy. You’ll fill out soon enough too. Shoot…I was nearly as wormy lookin’ as you are when I was your age.”

Rivers cleared her throat and cast her gaze down to the floor once more.

He continued, “Tell ya what…I reckon it’s been awhile since ya had yerself a real tub bath. You go on in there…the water’s still warm enough. Have yerself a good long soak.”

Rivers looked up quickly, shaking her head. “Oh, no, no, no. But thank ya all the same.”

Paxton Gray frowned. “Now look here, boy...Jolee don’t go in for smelly men. You had better get yerself in there and bath up.”

Paxton had seen this boy pitching manure earlier in the day and knew he must be in need of a bath. Maybe Jolee liked taking in these motherless pups, but if they were gonna eat under his roof, they were gonna do it cleaned up!

“Now, you go on in there and get yerself washed. I didn’t leave the water too all soapy,” he repeated, trying to remain calm.

“Um…I think I better be gettin’ on out to the barn, if ya don’t mind, sir,” the boy muttered.

“Like hell you are, boy!” And having let his temper get the best of him, Paxton hoisted the boy up over his own shoulder and turned toward the bedroom. He was a weasel of a child! It didn’t take any effort at all, only one arm to heft him up. Good thing, too, considering Paxton was tightly holding his towel at his waist with the other hand.

“No! Please!” the boy hollered.

“Now, you soap up. We bath up quite frequent ’round this house,” Paxton grunted, dropping the boy bottom first into the tub of water. “And ’cause I know you’re unusual bashful…I’m gonna leave ya in here…trustin’, mind you…trustin’ you’ll wash your own self,” he warned, pointing a finger at the boy. “I don’t wanna have to come back in here and scrub ya down, you hear?”

“Yes, sir,” the boy stammered. Paxton fancied for a moment the child was near to bawling. The boy better toughen up quick or he wouldn’t get nowhere in life at all!

“What in tarnation have ya done, Pax?” Jolee scolded as she saw her brother coming out of the bedroom, a triumphant grin on his face.

“That boy needs a good washin’, Jo,” he stated.

Jolee rolled her eyes and put her hands squarely on her hips. “So ya took it upon yerself to see he done it, is that it?”

Paxton nodded. “Shore ’nough,” he confirmed. Jolee shook her head and threw the flannels she’d gathered at him. “You’re too tender-hearted, little sis,” Paxton grumbled as he stomped away into the parlor. “A man can’t even put on his underwear in his own bedroom ’round here,” he muttered as he went. “Gotta be draggin’ every stray thing for miles around in here to patch up, don’t ya, Jo?”

“And you’re as blind as a bull with his eyes poked out, big brother,” Jolee retorted. Then going to the closed bedroom door, she said, “There’s a towel right there on the chest, Tommy.”

“Thank ya, ma’am,” came the timid reply.

“I’m goin’ on to bed now…you go ahead and slip out to the barn when you’re finished, all right? I’ll leave ya a clean pair of flannels out here, ’cause I know for a fact that Pax didn’t take the time to strip ya ’fore he flung ya in there.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jolee Gray shook her head. Paxton—the man couldn’t see past the nose on his own face.

CHAPTER TWO

Paxton quietly opened the barn door. He was fairly certain what he suspected was true, and he was pure and simple enraged about it. Jolee was a good woman, and he didn’t like the idea of her kindness being taken for granted.

Holding his lantern high and looking around the dark interior of the building, he saw the little weasel. There he was! Sound asleep on a pile of straw over in the northeast corner like there wasn’t a thing in the world to worry about.

Paxton was careful where he stepped as he walked to where the boy slept so peacefully. Standing directly above the little beggar, he glared furiously. He hunkered down next to the brat and set the lantern aside.

It was just as he thought. Paxton could tell now, especially with the bulky clothing gone. Beneath a pair of his very own white flannels was the form and figure of a young woman—not an adolescent boy! He shifted the lantern upward a bit, and a frown wrinkled his brow as he examined the purely feminine features of the girl’s face. His dunking her in the tub must have washed off the dirt she’d no doubt purposefully applied to her face in order to hide her gender.

Even he, Paxton Gray, was profoundly impressed with what lay there in the straw. He’d never seen eyelashes so thick and long. Her lips were perfectly shaped and crimson as a cherry. Her hair was long and wavy, and he imagined when the eyes were open and no longer shaded by the ugly hat she’d been wearing—well, no doubt her eyes were beautiful in their brilliance, entirely enticing.

Shaking his head to dispel thoughts of admiration, he tried to replace them with the angry ones he’d entertained a moment before. Roughly, he took the girl’s chin in one hand.

“Wake up!” he growled. The thickly lashed eyes fluttered open, and a small hand gripped his own, trying to pry it from the lovely face it held. “What’re you about, girl?” he demanded. He was astonished then to feel a sharp object pushing against his stomach.

“Let go! Don’t you dare to touch me!” the girl cried fiercely.

Suddenly realizing what she must think his intentions were, Paxton chuckled and assured her, “Don’t flatter yerself, honey. I just don’t go in for liars sleepin’ in my barn.” He gripped her wrist, squeezing it as hard as he could.

“Ouch!” she cried out, dropping the knife.

“Now, you stand up here,” he ordered, pulling her to her feet. The physically dominant man doubled over in the next instant, however, when the girl’s knee met his belly with immense force, causing him to lose his hold on her. She darted for the barn door, but Paxton turned, catching her ankle and sending them both tumbling to the barn floor. As she kicked and thrashed, he pulled her toward him until she was fully beneath his heavy, overpowering body.

“You little devil!” he growled as he sat on her legs, catching both of her hands and holding them pinned to the ground above her own head.

“Let me go!” she cried out.

Paxton reached over to where a length of rope lay nearby and pulled it to him, first tying her hands together and then her knees.

“There now. If you’re gonna act like an ornery little heifer—I’m gonna treat ya like one,” he said.

Pulling her to her feet, he swiftly lifted her and flung her over one broad and very capable shoulder. He walked back to the straw pile and retrieved his lantern. “We’ll just see what Jolee has to say about all this now,” he muttered as he carried the girl back to the house.

“What’s all that racket?” Jolee asked as she rushed into the kitchen in time to see Paxton hauling something into the house. “Paxton Gray! What are ya doin’?” she cried as she realized what it was, or rather who it was, he had slung over his shoulder.

“We got us our own little outlaw here, Jo,” he said, striding into the parlor and dumping the girl carelessly onto the sofa.

Jolee looked at the poor young woman. Tears of anger and frustration rolled over her cheeks. Jolee turned to her brother and scolded, “What have ya done? Are ya crazy?”

“Yes! What have ya done…tied her up?” Jolee was horrified. Paxton could be so headstrong and severe. Immediately, she went to the girl and began tugging at the ropes about her knees and wrists.

“If you don’t beat all, Jo! What do ya mean lettin’ her go on like she was a boy?” he asked angrily.

“Paxton,” Jolee began, “I’m sure she has good reason to be dressed up so. I figured she’d tell me when she was good and ready. It sure took you long enough to tumble.” Then Jolee looked up at her brother as a curious thought struck her. “When did ya tumble?”

Paxton looked at the girl and frowned. “Ain’t never thrown no boy over my shoulder and into a tub that felt like that. Anyway, she looked at me funny when I was standin’ next to her in my towel askin’ ya for my flannels.”

Jolee looked at the girl, face crimson with humiliation and fear. “Well, I can’t get these ropes off, Paxton. Dang it all, ya tie ’em too tight,” she complained.

“Oh, for cryin’ out loud, Jo! She’s a drifter! Give her a meal and send her on her way,” Paxton said as he wrestled with the ropes still binding the girl’s wrists.

Jolee noted the excessive and exaggerated insistence of her brother that she rid them of the girl, and she smiled to herself. “She’s gonna stay as long as she likes, Paxton. I need some female company. Especially after listenin’ to your borin’ chatter day in and day out.”

“Thank you, ma’am. But I’ll just be on my way now,” the girl said as she watched Paxton struggling with his own knots.

“You’ll do no such thing! I can use your help ’round here. Besides, you’ve obviously got nowhere else to get to right away, if ya don’t mind my sayin’ so,” Jolee prodded.