“We should have sent a detachment to meet her at the Missouri River,” Will said as he rode beside Jase’s buckboard. “This wilderness is too harsh for city women. We might have been able to offer her more comfort than a stage could. I should have done more for her because of the Morgans. My Amy had a terrible time adjusting when she came to the fort. Kathy Morgan saved her life more than once, I can tell you.”
“Thinking about what we might have done to make things easier for Miss Randolf is useless, Will. Let’s concentrate on what we can do to make her life more comfortable now.”
“You’re right. We’ll have to do whatever we can for her.” He looked ahead at the fort. “Jase, I’m going on to tell Amy you’re coming.”
“That’s a good idea. Miss Randolf will need prompt treatment to bring her around. We’ll catch up as quickly as we can. We should be at your place soon.”
He inclined his head toward Jase and urged his mount into a much quicker pace.
It took Jase longer than he’d expected to cover the last mile to the fort. He was pleased to see Amy standing on the porch waiting for them when he drove up to her home. She shivered in the cold despite the fact she had a heavy knitted shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
Jase got down from the buckboard, took hold of Marietta and marched up the steps carrying her in his arms.
“She fainted, Amy.”
“I know, Will told me.” Amy looked as though she hadn’t slept in days. “Bring her in and lay her on the sofa. Will is fetching the smelling salts and a glass of water.”
With Zack on his heels, Jase strode into the small living quarters and laid Marietta on the sofa. He stood back and gazed down at her, hoping she was all right.
Amy knelt beside the sofa and rubbed her palm over Marietta’s forehead. “You poor dear,” she cooed. “You’ve been through so much.”
Will handed her the smelling salts and water. Amy set the water on the table next to the sofa and waved the bottle of pungent odors beneath Marietta’s nose.
“What’s that stuff?” Zack asked, sidling up to Amy.
“Smelling salts. They’ll help her to come to.”
“Do they smell good?” He removed his hat and coat and dropped them on the floor.
“No,” Amy replied.
Zack grabbed the smelling salts away from her. “Then don’t make her smell them. When I wake up, I like to smell stuff that smells good. When my ma fried bacon, that always waked me up. Why don’t you fry some bacon, Miss Amy? Bacon will wake up my aunt.”
The men chuckled, and Amy smiled at Zack.
Jase had to admit the boy made a good point.
Marietta stirred, lifting her hand and placing the back of it on her forehead.
“Easy, Marietta,” Amy said soothingly.
She rolled her head from side to side and wiped her fingers over her eyes. “What happened?”
“Honey, take it easy,” Amy said. “Don’t get up just yet. You fainted.”
“And Miss Amy tried to wake you up with some stinky stuff,” Zack added. “I told her to fry some bacon ‘cause that’s good at waking a person up.”
Jase crouched next to the sofa when Amy moved aside. “Are you all right?”
Marietta glanced to her side. “I’ll be fine in a minute. I’m sorry to have worried you.”
When he noticed her gaze had fallen to his hand, Jase saw he’d grasped her hand with his. He hadn’t realized he’d taken this intimate liberty with her. He quickly released his grasp and stood. “She’ll be okay now.” What had just happened? Why had he taken her hand, and why had touching her set his heart pounding against his ribs?
Will nodded and gave him a peculiar look. Had he noticed what Jase had just learned himself? Were his suddenly-discovered feelings for Marietta written all over his face?
“You men go to the kitchen and have some coffee,” Amy suggested. “Take Zack with you and give him a glass of milk.” She turned toward Marietta. “We need a few moments alone.”
Jase scooped Zack into his arms. “Come on, big fella. Let’s see if Amy has any of her famous gingerbread men in the kitchen.”
When they were alone, Amy bent next to Marietta. “Let me help you out of that cape and coat, honey. The men will be occupied for a few minutes, and you and I can have a little talk.”
Marietta sat up and squirmed out of her coat. “I’m sorry to be such a bother. I remember now what happened. Lt. Carson told me Sledge Jackson has already left for the Missouri River.”
Amy bit her lip and nodded. “I’m afraid they left when the skies turned gray. Mr. Jackson has a sixth sense about the weather and said they could be delayed another week or so if they didn’t get started right away. He wanted to get as many miles behind him as he could before the storm caught up to him.”
“But that leaves me stranded here until the stage returns weeks from now.” Marietta rubbed her hands over her face. “What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to stay with us.”
“I can’t. You barely have enough room for yourselves. Zack and I would be terribly underfoot.”
“Nonsense,” Amy said. “Will and I talked it over and agreed that if God spared you from the storm as we prayed with all our might He would, we would put you and Zack up here in our home until you can catch the stage back to meet the boat at the Missouri River.”
“No. It will never work,” Marietta insisted. “And what if the stage can’t travel? Who knows what kind of winter this will be?”
Amy smiled broadly. “It’s going to be a good winter, I can feel it. The snow is already half-melted, and it will melt some more tomorrow. We’ll have a mild winter--a happy winter. I can feel it deep inside me.” She paused and sighed. “I know your plans have been terribly upset, Marietta, but I feel blessed to have a new friend who is going to be able to spend more time with me. Our invitation to you is heartfelt and lovingly extended. I hope you’ll accept it in that manner.”
Marietta could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Amy barely knew her, yet she spoke to her as lovingly and sincerely as only Kathy had spoken to her before.
“I don’t know what to say, Amy, except thank you. But how are we going to work this out? I won’t consider staying in your room. That’s yours and Will’s domain.”
“Will and I thought of that too,” Amy said. “We’ll section off the end of the parlor with the bookshelves next to the east wall. Will can get an extra bed for you, and you’ll have some privacy in the space between the shelves and the wall. Zack can sleep on the sofa.” She clutched Marietta’s arm. “It will work, honey. We’ll all be just fine.”
The men and Zack returned to the parlor.
“Did you explain everything to her, Amy?” Will asked.
She stood and turned toward her husband. “I did and she accepted. She and Zack will stay with us until the stage comes.”
“Not me!” Zack shouted. “I’m staying with Jase.” He grabbed the cowboy’s hand. “Jase told me I had a home with him. Didn’t you, Jase?”
He squatted next to Zack and touched the boy’s cheek. “I did, but that was right after your ma and pa died, son.” He drew back his hand. “It was before I knew your aunt was coming to take you home with her. You belong with Miss Randolf now.”
“Not yet,” Zack said. “In Nebraska I belong with you.” His lower lip quivered as he tried to convince Jase of his logic.
Will stepped next to them. “Zack, I’ve got a job for you to do while you stay here with us.”
Jase stood and took a few steps back to give Will some space as he spoke with the child.
“A mare wandered into the fort during the storm,” Will said, “and I’ll be blasted clean to Pennsylvania if she didn’t drop a foal. A filly it is. In cold weather like this, we have to take extra care in keeping a tiny bit of a horse like her warm, and we could use your help. Would you like to see the filly?”
Marietta could tell Zack was torn between wanting to see the horse and not wanting to
leave Jase even for a few minutes. Her heart ached at the thought of taking Zack away from him. She could see how hard the separation would be for both of them. As much as she hated the delay in her return to Chicago, the postponement of their trip might possibly be better for Zack. He could ease his way into leaving Jase a little at a time.
Zack took his time making up his mind, but when he made his decision, he went with Will.
“I have a million things to do in the kitchen,” Amy said when Will and Zack were gone. “I’ll leave you two alone to work things out regarding Zack.”
Jase walked toward Marietta who made room for him to sit on the sofa.
“I’m sorry about Zack’s reaction to staying here with you, Miss Randolf. It isn’t that he doesn’t want to be with you.”
“He’s confused, Mr. Kent, but the boy obviously loves you. He’s lost too many people he loves already. He doesn’t want to lose you too.”
Jase wiped his hand over his face and looked at the hearth on the opposite side of the room. “I’ve known him since he was born. Fact is I helped Clint bring him when Kathy’s time came.”
Marietta sucked in a frightened breath. “Kathy had no doctor?” Her sister hadn’t told her about giving birth under such primitive conditions.
“There are no doctors out here, ma’am,” Jase replied. “There are medics at the fort, but they don’t know any more about delivering babies than the rest of us.”
“Oh, my dear heaven,” she said on a worrisome sigh. “Poor Kathy.”
“No need to be upset, ma’am. Kathy came through everything with the strength of ten men.”
“You and Clint took good care of her and Zack?”
“Yes, indeed. We did the best we could which I believe was real fine. My housekeeper, Mrs. Whipple, was supposed to help Kathy when her time came, but she was away visiting her son. Zack had a mind of his own even back then, and he came early. When Mrs. Whipple returned she told us we’d done an uncommonly good job handling everything.”
Marietta gave Jase a smile of appreciation, but the thought of her sister’s dismal life wiped the smile away as quickly as it had come. “Kathy had to give up so much to come here. She had a good life in the city.” Marietta looked away. “I’ll never understand why she left.”
“Folks give up what they have for all sorts of reasons,” Jase said. “You take me for example. I had a fine ranch in Texas, had everything a man could ever want, then Clint and me got curious about the Nebraska and Wyoming territories. We made a trip up here to look around, and once I laid my eyes on this part of God’s creation, I knew I had to come here to live. Clint felt the same way.”
“Did Kathy know you’d be settling in the Nebraska territory when she and Clint got married? She’d told me back then she’d be living in Texas.”
“Kathy knew of our plans, and she was excited to come to virgin land.”
Marietta shook her head. “I suppose she kept her secret because she knew I’d worry myself into a grave if I’d known about your eventual settlement in this God-forsaken land.” She wrung her hands. “I don’t understand why that girl was such a rebel. How could she allow herself to take such dangerous risks?”
“Kathy a rebel?” he said, grinning. “I never thought of her that way. She seemed like a real reasonable woman to me.” The grin on his face turned into a look of affection. “I don’t think Kathy ever saw going to Texas or coming to Nebraska as a risk. As long as she had Clint at her side, she had everything she’d ever wanted. She loved him in a most profound way, in an indefinable almost mystical way.”
“And what did such foolishness and romanticism get her, Mr. Kent? Death at the hands of wild savages!”
“Love brought her immeasurable happiness, Miss Randolf. I wish you could have seen how happy Kathy was with Clint.” He looked away. “As for the savages who killed her-- Savages are among us everywhere,” he said, looking at her. “Would Kathy be any less dead if she’d fallen in with riffraff from a riverboat in Chicago or St. Louis or Omaha?” He squeezed her shoulder with his powerful hand. “There isn’t anything foolish about the kind of love your sister had for Clint.”
His words stung her to her core.
“We all miss Kathy terribly,” he said sympathetically. “She was a shining light among us. It was a blessing to have her in my life and an even bigger blessing for Clint to have her in his. She changed him in an overpowering way. Kathy was a beacon of hope in the life of a man who’d lived alone since he was only a little older than Zack is now.”
Marietta placed her hands over her ears. “Don’t tell me any more,” she said, lowering her hands. “Love destroyed Kathy. If she hadn’t loved Clint, she’d be alive today.”
“Maybe she would, but Zack wouldn’t.”
Marietta bolted from the sofa. She’d barely taken two steps away from it when her knees began to buckle.
Jase sprang to her side and held her arm to steady her. “Easy, Miss Randolf. You don’t want to faint again.”
She looked up into his coffee-brown eyes and was surprised at the concern she saw in them. “No, I don’t want to faint again,” she said, barely above a whisper.
“Please sit down.” He helped her back to the sofa and took his place next to her. “Do you think you’re all right now?”
She leaned back and nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
“I’m glad to hear it because I need to get back to my ranch,” he said hesitantly.
“But it’s nearly nightfall. It wouldn’t be safe for you to travel in the dark.” The realization that she didn’t want him to go struck her like a bolt of lightning.
“I’ll stay with the colonel tonight, and I’ll head back at first light in the morning.”
“Are you going to tell Zack your plans? You should let him know what you intend to do.”
He glanced toward the kitchen. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle Zack,” he said, focusing his engaging brown eyes on her. “I’ll invite myself to supper with all of you before I see the colonel to make arrangements for the night. I figure if I can ease Zack into the idea of staying here while we’re having supper together, he might raise less of a fuss about being away from me. After supper, I’ll tell him goodbye and promise him I’ll be back in a week.”
“You’ll be back in a week? No sooner than that?” Why did a week seem like too long a time for her to have to wait to see him again?
“Zack will need at least a week to get used to the idea that he won’t be seeing much of me anymore. If my visits come too frequently, it’ll only be harder for him to adjust to being away from me. He needs to begin to feel more a part of your family and less a part of mine.”
“I guess you know the boy best. I’ll rely on your good judgment where handling Zack is concerned.”
“I appreciate that.” He looked away. “I suppose I should leave,” he said, gazing at her again.
“Already?” She didn’t want him to leave.
“Would you like me to stay a little longer?” he asked tentatively.
She nearly cried a resounding yes before she looked away and refused to respond.
She felt him shift closer to her. His sudden movement caused her to inhale sharply as she looked at him again. “Mr. Kent... ”
He reached toward her and cupped her cheek. “Miss Randolf... ” He blinked, pulled his hand from her cheek, and wiped his knuckle over his lips.
Marietta took hold of his wrist. “Mr. Kent, thank you for taking care of us in the cabin,” she said, taking his hand into both of hers. “I’ll never forget our time together there.”
“Nor will I,” he said huskily.
She reluctantly released his hand.
“Miss Randolf…” He was so handsome, and the provocative look in his eyes stirred her heart.
“Mr. Kent, perhaps--”
An object crashed in the kitchen.
“I’m so sorry,” Amy said upon entering the parlor. “Clumsy me, I dropped a cast iron skillet to the floor. You two just go o
n with what you were doing.” She rushed back into the kitchen.
Marietta looked at Jase. “I’d better help Amy with supper. I’ll tell her we’ll need to set an extra place for you.”
“I’d appreciate that.” He stood, took her hand and helped her to her feet. “I’ll go make arrangements for the night with the colonel.”
“Of course,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her.
“I’ll see you in a short while.”
“She nodded toward him.
He donned his heavy coat, put on his hat and went outside.
The instant he was gone a heaviness filled her heart, and she felt more alone than she’d ever remembered feeling. Strange Mr. Kent’s absence should affect her in such an odd way.
But then she had no time to analyze another of the unusual emotions the handsome Jason Kent had evoked in her. She needed to be a proper guest and help her hostess prepare their supper.
As she headed to the kitchen Marietta realized her delayed return to Chicago may not be as bad as she’d initially thought. She didn’t think she was going to hate having the opportunity to get to know Mr. Kent better.
Having finally found a bright spot in the middle of her bad news, she began to feel better.
Chapter Five
Jase thought the week would never come to an end. Between waiting for word from the consortium, the anticipation of seeing Marietta again, and the emptiness in his house brought on by Zack’s absence, the week since he’d left Fort Kearney moved as slowly as a steer stuck in a snow drift.
As he rode toward the fort, his heart began to beat a little faster. He nudged his stallion, urging it to pick up its pace. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait to see Marietta. He knew he was behaving foolishly by allowing feelings for her to dwell in his heart. She’d be leaving in a few weeks as eager as ever to return to her city life. She hated the territory holding her captive. Yet, he couldn’t help aching for another glance into her emerald eyes. He wanted to inhale the lilac scent of her. He needed to touch her.
The last time he’d seen her, he’d longed to lace his fingers through her cinnamon hair. When they sat closely together on the Carson sofa, when Marietta took his hand… If Amy’s kitchen accident hadn’t diverted their attention, he might have taken Marietta into his arms and held her as he’d wanted to hold her in the cabin.