Brides of Idaho (42 page)

Across the remnants of their campfire, Rudy studied the boy as he sat on a fallen tree, picking out the last of the stolen pie. Tension in the air marred the pleasantness of the little clearing that was surrounded by trees dressed in yellow leaves. It was plain to see he was Joe’s son. The same blue eyes. The same thatch of black hair. Even down to the poor attitude, as if life owed him only kindness and he’d accept nothing less. Too bad life didn’t seem to be so inclined most of the time, giving Freddy—like his father—plenty of opportunity to express his displeasure.

He’d had only a passing acquaintance with Freddy until recently, having seen him when Rudy visited his mother, and Freddy’s grandmother, twice a year come rain or shine. But he hadn’t expected to be stuck with him day in and day out. How had Ma handled this continual resentment? Of course, Freddy might have been happy to be in Ma’s care. But Ma was gone. And Freddy had no one but his pa to be bothered with him.

Freddy made no secret of the fact he didn’t care an ounce for being in Rudy’s care. And to prove it, he got into mischief at every opportunity.

“You know better than to steal. Grandma would turn over in her grave.”

Freddy pulled his lips in, practically sucking them out of sight. For one happy moment, Rudy thought the boy would drop his attitude. But then Freddy scowled fit to bring on a thunderstorm. Even mention of the woman who had been largely responsible for raising Freddy brought no softening. Freddy dared the world, and everyone in it, to expect any degree of cooperation from him.

If Rudy expected a turnabout, he could dream in vain.

Although he was thirty-two years old, he’d never had much to do with kids, even this one who had lived with Rudy’s ma since Joe’s wife, Betty, died.

His heart fisted within him. Betty, who was supposed to have been Rudy’s wife. He closed his mind to those memories. A man couldn’t ride far glancing over his shoulder to what might have been.

Rudy glared at Freddy. “Miss Joanna could have had you arrested.” For a few minutes he’d wondered if she’d had it in mind. He took her for a woman with very high expectations of those around her. No doubt she took him for a neglectful uncle when the truth was he’d done everything in his power—except hog-tie the kid—to keep him out of mischief. Who would have guessed a youngster could get into so much trouble in so little time?

“They don’t put ten-year-olds in jail.”

“You sure?”

“Well, do they?”

Rudy shrugged. “Beats me. I’ve gone out of my way to avoid gaining any firsthand knowledge of jails. That’s not the point, though.”

“I ain’t sorry.”

Rudy sighed. This was going nowhere. “Let’s go see if your father turned up.”

Freddy didn’t show any sign of moving. Instead, he licked the pie plate as clean as any scrubbing would render it.

“Freddy?”

The boy ignored him.

Rudy strode over to stand over him. “Let’s go. Your father should have come by now.”

“He never shows up.”

A hot feeling raced up Rudy’s spine. Yeah, Joe was about ninety-nine percent unreliable, but this time he had no choice. His son didn’t have a home. It was time for Joe to cowboy up to his responsibilities instead of shifting them to someone else’s lap. “He’ll be here.” Or Rudy would find him and drag him here.

Freddy shrugged. “No never mind to me if he comes or not.”

“Yeah? Well, it matters to me. He’s your father, and he’ll jolly well look after you.” He nudged the boy’s boot with his own. “Let’s go find him.”

With about as much enthusiasm as he’d expect from a rock, Freddy managed to get his feet beneath him. “You really going to make me work for that woman?”

“Miss Joanna? Doesn’t seem to me it would be much of a hardship. She appeared kind enough.” At least she’d kept her anger simmering beneath the surface. He grinned. She looked like she might have enjoyed nailing Rudy’s hide to the nearest tree.

“Did you think she was pretty?”

“Didn’t notice.” Much. She had shiny brown hair tied at her neck. It rippled when she walked. Soft brown eyes that brought to mind a mother’s kiss when her gaze rested on Freddy. But when she looked at Rudy, the feeling was more like a mother’s sharp disfavor.

It wouldn’t hurt Freddy a bit to have a woman try and straighten him out.

“How come you didn’t notice? You blind?”

He chuckled. “She looked like the sort of person you could depend on.”

Freddy bounced ahead of Rudy to stare at him. “You can’t tell that by looking at someone.”

“No, I guess you can’t.”

Freddy resumed sauntering at Rudy’s side. “She makes awfully good pies.”

“Wasn’t kind of you to say my cooking tasted like wood.”

“You’re always saying I gotta tell the truth.”

“You picked a fine time to remember.” They reached the edge of the town—if one could call it that. The ferry crossed the Kootenai River with only one horse and rider aboard. It was usually full going the other direction as men headed for the gold fields to the north. He pulled up to watch, hoping the lone occupant might be Joe. But before the ferry docked, he knew it wasn’t. The man was far too big.

“Let’s go.” He led his nephew down the rutted street toward the businesses.

Half an hour later they’d asked everyone they met if they knew of a man called Joe Canfield. No one did.

“I told ya. He ain’t coming.”

“He’s coming. It’s time for you to go to the stopping house.”

“This time you better take a good look at Miss Joanna. I think she’s pretty.”

“Kid. You’re ten years old. What do you know about such things?”

Freddy snorted. “I got eyes.”

Trouble was, so did Rudy. And they worked perfectly fine.

Joanna stepped out of the stopping house, saw them approaching, and smiled. The woman had a smile that made his heart act all funny, like a fresh-broke horse facing the open road. Or the sensation he got when he got bucked off a stallion. The airless exhilaration of soaring.

Until he hit the ground.

Same lesson he’d learned concerning women. One day you were riding high, thinking everything was fine and dandy. The next you were nursing hurt pride and a whole lot more things that he couldn’t explain. Which was why he’d gone out of his way to avoid having anything to do with the fairer sex for the past eleven years.

He wasn’t about to change now.

Joanna called a greeting. “Glad to see you made it.”

Freddy mumbled something about Rudy making him come, which was so untrue Rudy poked him in the back.

Rudy tipped his head toward Miss Joanna. “I’ll wait for him while he does whatever you have for him.”

He chose an old stump about ten feet from the door where he had a good view of the ferry coming and going and could see most of the yard surrounding the stopping house. Without turning his head much, he had a pretty good glimpse into the roomy kitchen where Joanna led young Freddy, her hand gentle on his shoulder. The delicious aromas coming from inside turned Rudy’s annoyance into hunger.

Freddy glanced back and gave Rudy a self-satisfied smirk. He seemed to think he got a nice deal with being “forced” to work with Joanna.

Rudy grinned. He couldn’t argue with the boy on that score.

J
oanna showed Freddy the ash bucket then returned to the door to indicate where to dump it. She felt Rudy’s hot gaze practically stinging her cheeks and glanced toward him. His expression was inscrutable, but his eyes impaled her.

She opened her mouth then closed it again. What was there to say? They’d already done the
hello, how are you
bit. And she’d decided against commenting on his responsibility to his young nephew until she learned more about the situation.

He tipped his head in silent greeting. She did likewise and spoke again to Freddy. “After you dump the ashes, bring in wood from the stack. I want the wood box beside the stove full.”

“Then what?”

“You can sweep the veranda.” She pointed to the broom. “And haul away the vegetable peelings. Come, I’ll introduce you to Cora, who also helps me.”

Cora was busy preparing the washbasins and hanging towels. She had already filled a washtub with water from the well and set it on the stove. Just before supper she would fill the jugs with hot water so the guests could wash up.

“Cora, this is Freddy, who has come to do some chores.” She’d already explained the situation to Cora, who laughed at the idea of Joanna challenging Rudy to deal responsibly with the boy.

Cora turned. One cheek had been burned in a fire, but the scars were now almost invisible.

“Mr. Canfield.” Rudy sat close enough that Joanna didn’t need to raise her voice. Close enough she felt his watchful interest. “Cora Owens.”

Rudy pushed to his feet and lifted his hat. “Ma’am. Pleased to meet you.”

Cora swallowed hard. “Likewise.”

Freddy saw the black-and-white cat sunning on the edge of the wooden floor and moved away to pet it.

Cora leaned close to Joanna’s ear. “You forgot to mention he was as handsome as… as… Well, he’s as good-looking as my brother.”

Joanna chuckled. “No one can be better than your brother, can they?”

“Not in my eyes.”

“I did, however, mention that he’s footloose and fancy-free. The sort of guy to march into your world and pass on through so fast you don’t have time to catch your breath.”

Joanna returned indoors to check on the meal preparation. The venison roasting in the oven filled the room with a tantalizing aroma. The stove belched out heat that would soon be welcome, as the fall nights tended to get chilly. All the more reason to be gone before winter and its bitter cold.

Cora followed her. “You’re taking a lying kid’s word on this footloose, fancy-free stuff. Seems to me most men gladly settle down once they find a woman who makes them want to.”

“Sure didn’t keep my pa from wandering freely.”

“Not every man should be branded with the same flaws your pa has.”

“I expect that’s true.” She didn’t bother pointing out the truth often came out after the
I dos
when it was too late. Caution seemed the wiser route.

Freddy scurried in, grabbed the ash bucket, and hurried back out.

“Joanna, I sure hate to see you leave this place. Where will I go?”

She hugged the young woman. “I think Austin will take care of that.”

Cora blushed clear to her hairline. “He hasn’t said anything.”

“Give him time.”

Freddy rushed in and out again, bringing wood. Cora went to the doorway and watched Rudy for a moment. She looked like she wanted to say something more about the man then shrugged and returned to her tasks.

Joanna, thankful to have the subject abandoned, checked the potatoes. Everything would be done on time and be perfect.

She glanced out the window. Rudy was perched on the stump, and Freddy passed him with an armload of wood. A piece fell to the ground, and Rudy sprang up to retrieve it. He balanced it carefully in Freddy’s arms. She couldn’t hear what they said but could certainly read their expressions—Freddy’s hard and defiant, Rudy’s resigned. Perhaps even sorrowful.

Joanna’s stomach tightened, and she drew back. Rudy looked as if Freddy’s words wounded him. If such was the case, she ached for him.

He smoothed away any expression and returned to the stump, staring into the distance. Obviously hankering to leave this place and resume his wandering.

Perhaps with good reason, if Freddy hurt him over and over.

Before she could think better of it, she poured two cups of coffee and headed outside. He sprang to his feet at her approach.

“I was about to take a break. You care for coffee?”

“Thanks. Don’t mind if I do.” He took the mug and indicated the stump he’d vacated.

She hesitated. “Don’t mean to take your chair.”

“I don’t mind standing.”

But he looked awkward. And she felt uncomfortable. She nodded toward the laundry area. “Grab the little stool by the washstand.” He trotted over to get it and plunked down, seemingly intent on studying the coffee steam. “I suppose you spend most of your time on the back of your horse.”

He laughed like she’d said the most amusing thing.

She liked the sound of his chuckle and the way deep gouges creased his cheeks. She caught and held his gaze, secretly pleased to have brought this sudden change to his demeanor.

His laughter died, his amusement settling into a grin that maintained the dimples in each cheek.

To her surprise, she realized Cora was right. The man was incredibly handsome. But more than that, he seemed so solid. She mentally shook herself. His size gave that impression. Certainly not anything else.

“I like being on a horse, but I don’t live there. I have to get off once in a while to cook some tasteless food.”

She laughed, remembering Freddy’s insult. Her laughter felt as if it came from deep in her belly. “I’m sure it isn’t as bad as Freddy makes out.”

“Don’t be too certain.”

They grinned at each other, their gazes locked together, steady and strong. Joanna decided her foolishness must have something to do with the fact that both her younger sisters had recently married good men and were living their happy ever after. Happy as she was for them, she sometimes, secretly, in the dead of night, wondered if she would end up alone for the rest of her life.