Courting Kate (22 page)

No, she would not wake him. Neither would she go to sleep, She, too, would lie there, tucking the moment away like a cherished memento, to bring out and examine someday when she was old.
 

Chapter 15

“Would you like another piece of pie, sweetie?” Kate asked, hovering over John like a mother hen with only one chick. She fluffed his pillow and straightened his covers. He only had to sigh and she would be there by his side.

“I would like a little more snow ice cream,” John said faintly.
 

Tanner, watching from the doorway, shook his head and grinned. “You’re spoiling him.”

“I’m doing no such thing,” she replied indignantly. “I’m merely trying to make the poor little thing feel better.”

The pitiful look John gave Tanner was so obviously put on that he was hard pressed not to laugh. In the week since the fever had dropped, that “poor little thing” had kept everybody running their legs off, including him. Although he hated to spoil John’s fun, it was time the pampering came to a stop. “How would you like to get out of that bed for a while, Johnny boy?”
 

The child cut his eyes at Kate. “Well, I don’t know.”

“Absolutely not!” Kate declared, whirling to face him. “He’s still not well enough for that.”
 

“I’ll play you a game of checkers,” Tanner promised.
 

“You will?” John bolted upright in the bed and flashed him a wide grin. “I guess I could get up for a little while.” He peered up at Kate. “Please. Tanner hardly ever plays with me.”

“You don’t?” She frowned. “Why not?”

“Never seem to have the time. But that’s all going to change, isn’t it, squirt?” He leaned close to the bed and ruffled the little boy’s hair. John’s illness had taught him a lesson. He learned just how much his brothers meant to him. How devastated he would be if anything happened to one of them.
 

“Are you ready?” he asked, his voice husky with emotion. Never again would he allow work or anything else to make him forget the important things in his life.
 

“I’m ready,” John said solemnly.

Tanner gently lifted the boy into his arms. John seemed weightless, fragile, and for a moment he wondered if he were doing the right thing. One look into Kate’s fear-filled eyes told him he was. The family and Kate had to help John put the illness behind him. It was the only way he could truly be well.

Holding the child close, he strode into the living room. “Somebody set up the checkerboard. John has challenged me to a game.”

“Gonna beat him are you, bud?” Mark said, going to fetch the game board.
 

“I don’t know. Tanner’s awful good,” John replied doubtfully.
 

“Heck, he’s so rusty, I’ll bet Kate could beat him, and she’s probably never played checkers in her life,” Luke chimed in.

“I’ve played a few games,” she said. “I might just challenge him later on.”

“Won’t do you any good,” Tanner said, rising to the bait. “I’ll never get that rusty.”

“We’ll see, Mr. Blaine. We’ll see.” She gave him a sly smile, then headed for the kitchen. “I almost forgot John’s ice cream.” She turned at the doorway. “Would anyone else like anything?

“I wouldn’t mind having a piece of that pie,” Tanner said hopefully. “It sure did smell good cooking.”

“It is good,” Matt declared.

“Dee-licious,” Luke agreed.

“Best pie I ever tasted,” Mark said. “In fact, I’d like another slice.”

“Sorry, but the remaining pieces belong to Tanner and John.”

Surprised that she’d save one for him, Tanner gave her a pleased smile.
 

She left the room, returning a few minutes later with John’s ice cream and a large slice of dried apple pie. She handed it to Tanner.

It looked as scrumptious as it smelled, and it tasted even better. The crust was light and flaky, the filling mouthwateringly delicious. “Oh, that’s good,” he said between mouthfuls. “I’ve never tasted any better.” He licked his lips, wishing for a whole pie all his own. “Kate, you’ll have people coming all the way from Yreka for a pie like this.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I know so.”

“I used Maggie’s recipe, and Matt showed me how to improve my crust. Oh, I almost forgot your coffee.”

“His pies have never been that good,” Luke declared, watching her go back into the kitchen. “How come, Matt?”

“I think it’s the cook, not the cooking,” Matt said with a grin.
 

“He’s never looked that pretty in an apron, either,” Mark added. “Don’t you think Kate’s pretty, Tanner?”

Tanner looked from one of his brothers to the other. All of them were grinning like opossums. “I think she’s mighty pretty.”

“And she’s a good cook,” Matt added.

“That she is,” Tanner admitted.

“Got a nice disposition, too,” Mark said.

“Yes, she does.”
 

“Then why can’t we keep her?” John asked.
 

“You can’t just keep a person like she’s a pup or something,” Tanner argued.
 

“You could if you married her,” the little boy declared.
 

“We’re not going into that again. We’ve got our reasons for not getting married. Besides, you’re too young to understand.” He put the board in between them. “Now, let’s play checkers.”

* * *

Smiling to hide her hurt, Kate left the hallway and carried the cup of coffee into the living room.
Too young to understand?
Tanner had explained all about his brothers, his responsibilities, his obligations. She was a whole lot older than John, and she didn’t understand Tanner’s reasons, either.

After John and the rest of the boys had played checkers with Tanner, Kate took a turn. At first she played poorly, pretending to let him teach her the rudimentary elements of the game. In truth she had played since she was old enough to reach the board, and if she did say so herself, she was pretty darned good.
 

“Are you willing to bow to my superiority?” Tanner asked, after beating her for the third time.
 

“Not just yet. We’ll try a couple more, unless you’re too tired.”

“Tired of playing checkers?” He gave a hoot. “I could beat you all night.”

While Tanner was arranging the board she looked over his head and winked at the boys. “We’ll see,” she said, softly.

She quickly trounced him in that game and the next two as well, much to the boys’ delight and Tanner’s amazement.

“Do you give up?” she asked.

“Three and three, that makes a tie. One more, and this time I won’t let you beat me,” Tanner warned.

Kate smiled.

A little while later, a disgruntled Tanner conceded the game. “Where did you learn to play like that?”

“I had a bachelor uncle that did little else,” she explained. “He taught me to play when I was four, and we played almost every day until he went off to war. I have gotten a little bit rusty these last few years.”

“Did you let me win those first three games?” he asked with suspicion.

She grinned. “You’ll never know, will you?”

“I’ll bet you could teach me a thing or two about the game,” he admitted.

“Could be.” She could teach him a lot of things; how to love, how to trust, how not to be so pigheaded. If he would only give her the chance.

* * *

The next day the clouds parted and a brilliant sun lit the bright blue sky. Everywhere snow glittered like it had a covering of diamonds. Frustrated at being cooped up so long, Kate wanted nothing more than to go outside.

“Have you ever tried skiing?” Matt asked, coming up beside her.

“No. We never had that much snow in Georgia.” She sighed wistfully. “It does sound like fun, though.”

“What sounds like fun?” Tanner asked from the doorway.
 

“Kate’s never been skiing. Why don’t you show her how?”

“Would you like that, Kate?”

“I think so, if you’d teach me.”
 

“How could I refuse?” He looked her up and down and frowned. “You’ll need some britches.”

“Luke outgrew a pair that might fit. And John’s boots,” Matt said. “I’ll get them.”

A while later Kate, dressed in the boys’ clothes, followed Tanner to the barn and waited while he removed a pair of snow skis from the wall and fastened them to her boots.
 

“How does that feel?”

“Strange.” She slid the boards back and forth trying to get the feel of them, while Tanner put on a pair of his own.
 

“Ready?” he asked, handing her a pair of pointed slender poles. “Follow me. Do what I do.” In a smooth gliding motion, he left the barn and headed toward the meadow.
 

Her heart hammering with excitement, Kate tried to follow his lead. While Tanner weaved gracefully across the snow, she moved like a duck with oversized feet. But after she began to get the rhythm, she decided it was more like sliding on air. She was so thrilled by her accomplishment she didn’t notice she’d lost Tanner, until he yelled out her name.

“Kate, stop! That hill’s too steep.”

By the time she heard his warning it was too late, she was already over the crest and plunging straight downhill. The skis hissed over the ice-covered terrain, picking up speed with every foot. Hoping to slow herself, she leaned forward—and went even faster. She whizzed by trees, bushes. She ducked a snow-covered limb and felt it snatch her hat from her head. “Tanner!” she screamed.
 

“Fall down!”

Fall down? How? The more she leaned, the faster she went. Paralyzed with fear, she stared at a large clump of trees that suddenly loomed in front of her.
 

“Tanner! Help me!”

The trees drew closer and closer. Knowing she couldn’t avoid the crash, she closed her eyes.
 

“I’ve got you, Kate.” Tanner snaked an arm around her waist and jerked her off her feet. Snow flew as he skidded to one side.
 

She felt him release her, then she was flying through the air. She landed on her stomach, facedown in the snow. She jerked her head up to see Tanner tumbling end over end.

Tanner rolled to a stop several yards away. He sat up and stared at her. “Are you all right?”
 

“I think so.”
 

He noticed that she’d lost her hat, but she didn’t seem to be hurt.
 

She brushed at her hair, sending ebony ringlets spiraling through a crown of snow. She gazed at him and giggled. “You look like a snowman without a nose.”

“I’m glad to know you’re so concerned about me.” Grinning, he raised his hand and slapped at the side of his head, shaking the white particles loose from his face and out of his ears. “There’s got to be an easier way to stop.” She tried to get to her feet. Every time her skis made contact with the snow, they began to slide, carrying her with them.

“Stay put,” he warned, afraid she might end up in an even worse predicament.

“How do I get up?”

Tanner reattached his own skis, then glided over beside her. “Maybe I should leave you there, keep you out of mischief.”

“Thought you were going to teach me how to ski,” she said, peering up like a dark-haired imp.

“I thought you might be ready to quit.” He took her outstretched hand and hoisted her to her feet.

“Not on your life.” She shook her head, tossing a lock of hair out of her face. The act set her skis in motion. They slid—in opposite directions. Her eyes widened. “Oh-h!” Off balance, she reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt.

“Whoa!” He tried to pull her upright, but it was too late. The momentum carried her backward, and him right along with her.

She plopped into a snowdrift.

He landed smack on top of her. Mouth open, he stared at her.
 

“Now what do we do?” she asked.
 

He peered over his shoulder at the tangle of skis and poles. “Danged if I know. Never been in this kind of situation before.”

She gazed at him, then erupted in a fit of giggles.
 

“You wouldn’t think it was so funny if you could see that cliff you almost went over,” he said, laughing along with her.
 

“W-What cliff?” she managed to gasp out. “I was worried about the t-trees.”

“The cliff on the other side of the trees.”
 

He eyed her rosy cheeks and red nose. A riot of dusky curls framed her heart-shaped face, and a smudge of red mud streaked her cheek. She was a mess, but she never looked more appealing. “Your face is dirty. Think I’ll wash it,” he said, playfully scooping up a handful of snow.
 

“Don’t you dare, Tanner Blai—”

He pushed the soft snow into her face.