Sunrise Ridge (Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance Book 3) (37 page)

“I’ve heard so much about you, Miss Tolbert. It’s a pleasure. Mr. Brandt made certain the house the town is letting me use received much needed repairs. Without him, I’d still be at the boardinghouse with my books and other belongings stored in trunks.” She smiled at Noah.

“Oh, so the reason for the pie?”

“Yes. I couldn’t think of a better way to thank him.”

“It looks wonderful.”

“You’ll have to tell me what you think of it.” She nodded at Noah. “Well, I must be going. Thank you again. What you did meant a lot to me.”

“It was no trouble. Let me know if you need anything else.” He winced as the words came out, knowing how they must sound to Abby.

He’d spent the last week visiting her as often has he could, trying to figure out the best way to explain his change of mind. Gabe suggested telling her the truth. That he’d been a fool and wanted her back. Noah had tried more than once, but they’d been interrupted each time. He needed to get her alone, away from the ranch and his livery. Someplace they could talk in private.

Abby watched Sarah leave, then turned toward Noah, her eyes sparking. “Let me know if you need anything else,” she mimicked, her hands on her hips.

“Now, Abby. You’re making too much of this. It’s a pie, nothing more.” He set it down, taking a step toward her.

She inhaled deeply, letting the air out in a slow stream. “Is she what you want, Noah? Is that what all this has been about the last week? You’ve met someone else and haven’t been able to tell me?” Her heart broke at the thought.

“Of course not. She’s a nice lady, nothing more.” The only woman he wanted stood in front of him. He reached a hand toward her. “Abby—”

“Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business.” She spun away, dashing outside before he could stop her.

“Damn it, Abby. Wait.” He followed her to the door, watching as she ran across the street and disappeared into the boardinghouse. He muttered a string of curses, knowing he had to fix this with her soon before he lost her for good.

“Here. I’ve always found a piece of pie fixes almost anything.” Suzanne set the plate in front of Abby, along with a glass of milk. “Now, tell me what’s got you so upset.”

She would’ve laughed if her heart didn’t feel smashed to pieces. A pie had been what started this a few minutes before. “I think Noah’s met someone else.”

Suzanne crossed her arms and leaned forward. “And why do you think that?”

She explained the pie, meeting Sarah Murton, and Noah’s invitation to help Sarah with whatever she needed.

“What else?”

“What do you mean, what else? I think he may be sweet on her.” She took a sip of milk, pushing away the pie.

Suzanne’s burst of laughter stunned Abby. “The only woman that man is sweet on is you. He helped Sarah because that’s the kind of man he is. Did she mention he rounded up about fifteen other men to help with the work? I think she baked the pie for the exact reason she mentioned. To say thank you.”

Abby could feel her face heat. “So you believe I’m wrong?”

“Yes, Abby, I do. Noah’s having trouble accepting your wealth, but he’ll work through it. When he figures out his pride isn’t worth losing you over, he’ll be out at the ranch, apologizing. You need to be patient.”

“You believe he loves me?”

“Of course I do.”

Abby took another sip of milk, thinking over Suzanne’s words. Patience had never been her best characteristic. When she figured out what she wanted, she went after it. She saw no reason to change now. She pushed from the table.

“Thank you, Suzanne. I know just what I need to do.”

The next two days passed in a whirlwind of activity. After leaving Suzanne’s, she sent a telegram to Ernest Payson, then had Dirk drive her to the Pelletier ranch. The discussion with Dax and Luke didn’t take long. That night, she finished the last of the paperwork and put it in a drawer, ready for her meeting the following morning.

Dax, Luke, Rachel, and Ginny arrived early, along with baby Patrick, who’d grown considerably since Abby had seen him right after his birth. She handed the men the ledgers, showed them her files, and took the women on a tour. Although they’d been to the ranch before, neither had ventured upstairs. Hers and the Pelletier house compared in size, with the same number of rooms.

After a while, they joined Dax and Luke in the study, discussed details, and agreed on terms. Less than two hours after their arrival, the Pelletiers rode away as the new owners of the Tolbert ranch.

Before they left, Luke mentioned seeing Noah the night before when he took Ginny to supper in town. He told them he planned to go to his cabin Friday night, staying until Sunday, making some long overdue repairs.

It took some strong persuasion, and encouragement from Ginny and Rachel, but Luke finally broke down, giving Abby directions to Noah’s cabin. She now had everything she needed.

Noah grabbed another board, nailed it into place, then set the hammer aside. He glanced around. The cabin had never looked better, although it had a ways to go before he invited Abby to see it. It needed curtains, a few more pieces of furniture, and a couple more pans in the kitchen, but overall, he felt pleased with his progress. He knew she’d never want to live here, not with her large home at the ranch. At least he wouldn’t be embarrassed to bring her up for a day or two when they wanted complete privacy.

He stood, raised his hands above his head and stretched. Pouring a cup of coffee, he walked outside, thinking of Abby and how much she’d love the glorious sunrises. The cabin sat on a spot the locals called Sunrise Ridge, and the name fit.

He leaned against the rail and sipped from the steaming cup. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be able to bring her here, sit with her in the mornings and watch the brilliant yellows, oranges, and pinks light the sky. Then he’d make love to her, keeping her in his bed for hours. He swallowed a lump of fear in his throat, hoping his dreams became reality.

Noah put his tools away, cleaned up, and stoked the fire in the kitchen stove. Suzanne had packed stew, biscuits, and preserves for supper. He placed the stew on top of the stove, then took a seat in the rocking chair he’d hauled up for Abby and sat back, closing his eyes.

Even with Luke’s directions, it took Abby longer than anticipated to ride up the trail. The beauty of the hills on this side of town took her breath away, stopping her several times to take in the magnificent view.

She rode into a clearing, watching the sun descend toward the peaks of the western hills. Luke said the clearing meant she had another quarter mile to travel. She nudged Joker forward, her hands beginning to feel moist on the reins, her heart rate increasing the closer she got. Joker took her around one more bend and there it sat—Noah’s cabin.

Abby reined to a stop and slid to the ground. She took off the coat she’d worn to protect her dress, then smoothed her hands over her hips and down her skirt. Taking measured steps, she made her way to the cabin. A few feet from the porch steps, a light went on inside, then another. She clutched her hands together. She was almost there.

Noah lit the kerosene lamps, then dished up a bowl of stew and took a seat at the table. Taking a bite, he sat back, chewing as he thought of Abby. He wished she were with him now, sharing this meal. Taking another bite, he rested his arms on the table. He’d become accustomed to being alone at his cabin. For the first time since he’d built it, he felt lonely.

Finishing the stew, he pushed away from the table at the same time a knock sounded on the door. He stared at it a moment, believing he’d imagined the sound. Shaking his head, he grabbed the bowl and heard the knocking sound again. He set the bowl down and walked to the door, grabbing the gun he’d placed on a table. In one quick move, he grabbed the knob and opened the door, pointing the gun straight ahead…and froze.

Abby gasped, her eyes crossing at the sight of a gun pointed at her face.

“Abby?”

“I…I thought I’d surprise you. It appears I did.” She took a step backward, a heel catching on a wooden plank.

Noah muttered a curse as he lowered the gun, reaching out with his other hand and pulling her into the cabin, crushing her to his chest. “God, Abby, I could’ve shot you,” he whispered into her hair as he set the gun down and kicked the door shut.

Backing her up against the door, he cupped her face in his hands and lowered his mouth. The kiss started as a brush of his lips against hers, his tongue tracing her lower lip, coaxing her to open. Her lips parted and he delved inside, tasting what he’d been dreaming about for days. Heat flared through him as she sighed into his mouth, wrapped her arms around his neck, and drew him down to her, holding him in place.

Abby couldn’t control the fire burning inside. His hands moved up and down her back, then rested on her hips, pulling her tight. Noah’s body aligned with hers, his hands roaming over her. She squirmed against him, trying to get closer, wanting more.

He left her mouth, trailing kisses along the curve of her jaw, tracing a path down her neck, sucking the hollow at the base, soft moans escaping her lips. He continued down to the swell of her breasts, then moved back up, crushing his mouth to hers again.

Stroking her face with his knuckles, he pulled back on a ragged breath, resting his forehead against hers. “I’ve missed you, Abby.”