Lorraine Heath (15 page)

“A. J.”

Austin shifted her in his arms. “Hello, A. J. I bet you don’t remember your Uncle Austin, do you?”

She covered her eyes and buried her tiny nose against his shoulder. Lord, she was incredibly small and warm. A knot rose in his throat with the thought that he’d soon have one of these of his own.

“Since you came in Dallas’s buggy, I reckon the two of you mended your fence,” Houston said.

“He told you about that, did he?” Austin asked.

Houston gave him a lopsided grin. “Yep.”

“What’s so funny?”

“The whole world is afraid of Dallas. He’s only been hit twice in his life—and both times the fist was attached to one of his brothers.”

Austin chuckled. “I’d forgotten that you’d hit him. I never knew why.”

Houston shrugged and started walking toward the house. Austin took off after him. “Why
did
you hit him?”

“He questioned Amelia’s virtue. I took exception to his doubts.”

Austin was relieved to know Loree wasn’t the only one whose virtue Dallas had doubted, but he also knew that Amelia had been long married before she began to swell with a child. Austin swallowed hard. “Loree’s pregnant.”

Houston glanced over at him. “I know.”

“She’s a decent woman—”

“Never doubted that for a minute. Hell, Austin, I took you to your first whorehouse, and you walked out as pure as you were before you went in. Decent women are the only kind that ever appealed to you.”

“Don’t suppose you happened to mention that to Dallas when he came by.”

“Figured he knew since he told me if anyone dared to look at your wife with anything but admiration, they’d answer to him.”

The knot in Austin’s throat tightened a little. “I wasn’t sure how he felt—”

“You’re his baby brother. He would have sheltered you from the world if he could have, and that’s probably where he went wrong. Some lessons have simply got to be learned the hard way.”

Loree folded the blanket, placed it in the box, and lifted her gaze to the woman standing on the other side of the bed who was doing the same thing. “I hope we haven’t hurt your feelings.”

Dee glanced up. “Of course not. Why ever would you think that?”

Loree shrugged. “You made me feel so welcome, and here we are, after only one night, moving out.”

Dee smiled with understanding. “I’m glad that Amelia and Houston offered to let you live in their vacant house. I know it’s difficult to marry someone you’ve only known a short time. I didn’t know Dallas at all when I married him. If my family had been underfoot, I don’t think I ever would have gotten to know him.”

“I feel badly taking the furniture from this room.”

“It’s always been Austin’s. I often thought of replacing it, but I wanted him to come home to something familiar. I was afraid all the other changes would overwhelm him.”

Loree picked at a loose thread on the blanket. “You must love him very much to accept what he did.”

“I understand why he did it. I hated to see him go to prison, but the decision was his to make, and I respect that.”

Understanding, respect, acceptance. She wondered if Austin would give those as easily to her if he knew the entire truth about her past. She supposed one had to build a foundation of love before one’s faults could be laid bare and accepted.

“Dallas and Austin should have the table moved out of the shed by now. Do you want to run outside and let them know that we’re almost finished here?” Dee asked.

Loree nodded, walked to the doorway, and halted. “Dee?”

Dee glanced over at her, and Loree nibbled on her lower lip. “I appreciate that you don’t seem to be sitting in judgment of me.”

Dee’s brown eyes widened. “Because of the baby?”

Loree jerked her head quickly.

A wealth of understanding and sympathy filled Dee’s brown eyes. “A child is a gift, Loree, regardless of the circumstances. And Austin’s child at that. We will spoil the baby rotten, I promise you.”

Loree didn’t doubt it. She’d already seen evidence that every child in this family was considered precious.

She walked into the hallway and down the wide sweeping staircase. The discordant notes of a piano traveled from the front parlor. She ambled toward the room, the off-key chords grating on her nerves before they fell into silence. She peered into the room.

“Did you practice one hour every day like I told you?” a rotund woman asked Rawley.

He shrugged.

“Stand up, young man,” she ordered.

Slower than ice melting in winter he slid off the bench and stood.

“Hold out your hand.”

She saw Rawley tense as he extended his hand, palm up. The woman picked up a thin wooden stick and raised it.

“Don’t you even think about striking him,” Loree snarled as she stormed into the room.

Rawley spun around so fast that he lost his balance and dropped onto the bench. The woman’s eyes protruded farther than her nose.

“How dare you interfere with this lesson—”

“I’m interfering with your cruelty, not the lesson.”

“Mr. Leigh is paying me good money—”

“To teach his son, not to beat him.”

“He is lazy and irresponsible—”

“Irresponsible? What time did you get out of bed this morning?”

“I don’t see that that’s any of your business.”

“This child was up before the sun tending to his chores, and he’ll sneak in a few more after everyone thinks he’s in bed, so don’t tell me he’s irresponsible. You are irresponsible.” Loree snatched the stick out of the woman’s hand and snapped it in two.

The woman’s jowls shook. “How dare you! Wait until Mr. Leigh hears about this.” She stormed from the room.

Loree slid onto the bench beside Rawley, gave him a warm smile, and began to play “Greensleeves.”

“Mr. Leigh! Mr. Leigh!”

Standing in the wagon, holding one end of the heavy table, Austin glanced over his shoulder to see something that looked like the beginnings of a dust storm hurling toward them.

“Drop it!” Dallas ordered, and Austin gladly obliged, hearing the wagon groan beneath the weight.

The banker’s wife staggered to a stop. “She broke my stick!”

“Who did?” Dallas asked.

She pointed her finger at Austin. “I believe she’s his wife.”

Austin settled his butt on the side of the wagon. “If Loree broke your stick”—he swallowed his laughter—“I’m sure she had good reason.”

“I will not tolerate interference from that hoyden when I’m teaching,” the woman said.

“I’ll talk to her,” Dallas said.

“The hell you will,” Austin said. He glared at the woman. “And she’s not a hoyden.”

“She’s married to a murderer—”

“My brother’s not a murderer.”

“I was at the trial—”

“That’ll be enough, Mrs. Henderson. Why don’t you head on home, and we’ll take this up tomorrow?” Dallas suggested.

She stuck her nose in the air. “I don’t think I can teach Rawley. That boy is as lazy as his father—”

“I’m his father.”

“Not by blood—”

“By all that matters.” Dallas shoved on the table and sent it crashing against the back of the wagon. “Jackson!”

A tall lanky man hurried out of the barn. “Yes, sir?”

“Escort Mrs. Henderson home.”

Leaving the woman to huff and puff, Dallas strode toward the house. Austin leapt off the wagon and caught up to him. “You gotta pity poor Lester being married to that.”

Dallas just snorted.

“What are you aiming to do?” Austin asked as Dallas stalked through the front door.

“Find out what really happened.”

Austin heard the music filtering out of the parlor. Dallas ground to a stop in the parlor doorway. Wanting to ensure that he could get between Dallas and Loree if the need arose, Austin slipped past his brother and froze.

Loree was playing the piano with Rawley sitting beside her, watching as her hands moved over the keys. She struck the final chord and folded her hands in her lap.

“I could never play like that,” Rawley said, his voice filled with awe.

“You could if you wanted,” Loree said. “But the secret is—do you want to?”

Rawley shook his head. “I’d rather be out tending cattle.”

“Then that’s what you should do.”

“But I don’t want to disappoint Mr. D. He ain’t gonna like what happened with Miz Henderson at all,” Rawley said quietly.

“Of course, he won’t like it,” Loree said. “She’s lucky I walked into this room and not your father. He would have snatched her baldheaded if he’d seen that she was going to strike you.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.” She shifted on the bench. “Rawley, he loves you very much.”

“I know he does, but I ain’t really his son. His son is buried out by the windmill. He died on account of me.” Ducking his head, Rawley rubbed his finger along the edge of the piano. “I ain’t never said that out loud, but I know it to be true.”

“Rawley!”

Rawley came off the bench at his father’s booming voice, and Loree looked as though she’d jumped out of her skin.

“Yes, sir?”

“I need to talk to you, son,” Dallas said more quietly. “Outside.”

Dallas turned abruptly and headed down the hallway. Rawley hurried after him. Austin ambled into the room and sprawled in a chair near the piano.

“What do you think he’s going to say to Rawley?” Loree asked, worry etched deeply between her brows.

“Imagine he’d going to explain to the boy that he is indeed Dallas’s son.”

“How long were you there?”

“Long enough to know Rawley will be herding cattle instead of banging on a piano.”

Loree breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m beginning to think your brother is more bark than bite.”

“Only where family is concerned. Make no mistake about that.”

Austin heard Loree’s laughter as he prodded his horse into the corral. Moving into their own place had seemed to put Loree more at ease with her new surroundings. He sauntered to the house, rounded the corner, and leaned against the beam supporting the eve. Contentment stole over him as his gaze fell on Loree, sitting on the ground, her bare toes peeking out from beneath her skirt. Rawley was hunkered beside her while Two-bits yelped and wagged his tail like there was no tomorrow.

“Sit!” Rawley ordered, deepening his voice.

The dog got his shaking butt halfway to the ground before he lifted it back up and began wagging his tail again.

“Sit!” Rawley repeated. Austin thought he sounded a great deal like Dallas.

This time, the dog plopped his butt onto the ground. Loree smiled brightly and clapped while Rawley tossed the dog a scrap of food. Loree glanced Austin’s way, and her smile grew warm. “You’re home.”

He ambled to her, extended his hand, and helped her to her feet. “Yep. What are you two doing?”

“Teaching Two-bits how to sit,” Rawley explained as he tossed the dog another morsel. The dog devoured it like he hadn’t eaten in weeks when Austin knew that wasn’t the case.

“Rawley made him a collar,” Loree said as she reached down and petted the dog.

“Used an old belt. Mr. D taught me how to carve into the leather.” Rawley pointed. “See, I did the dog’s name.”

“You did a good job,” Austin said, glad to see how his words pleased Rawley. The boy had received too little praise before he’d come to live with Dallas.

“Mr. D said when Two-bits fathers some pups, I can have one.”

“That might be a while,” Austin said.

“Mr. D said the same thing. Said he’d git me a dog now if I wanted, but I decided to wait on account I want a dog like Two-bits.” Rawley backed up a step. “Well, I’d best git home.”

“Tell your pa that I’ll be checking on the north range tomorrow.”

Rawley gave him a quick nod. “Yes, sir. Bye, Aunt Loree.”

“Thank you for the collar,” she said warmly.

“You’re welcome.” He hurried to his horse, mounted up, and kicked his horse into a gallop.

Austin watched the dust settle back into place.

“You did that on purpose didn’t you?” Loree asked.

He shifted his gaze to her. “Did what?”

“Gave him a message to take to ‘his pa.’ My guess is Dallas already knows you’ll be checking the north range tomorrow.”

Austin rubbed the side of his nose. “Was it that obvious I want the boy to realize Dallas is his father?”

“Probably not to him, but I’m beginning to know you a little more. Dallas tells people what he wants. You have a tendency to try and guide them without letting them know that you’re guiding them.”

Reaching out, he took her hand and tugged her to him until her toes crept over his boots. “So if I wanted to guide you toward an ‘I’m glad that you’re home’ kiss, what would I do?”

“What you do every evening. Put my hands on your shoulders and your hands on my waist. Then lean down—”

He didn’t let her finish, just planted his lips over hers, allowing the seed for love to begin taking root. He wished like hell that she hadn’t been forced to marry him, but if she hadn’t—she’d be in Austin and he’d be here, wishing he were with her.

He kept the kiss sweet and short because his resolve was weakening. What he really wanted was to lift her into his arms, guide her into the bedroom, and make love to her until dawn—but that damn promise stopped him because he hadn’t figured out how to convince her that he was only thinking of her.

Loree bit back the whimper when his mouth left hers. She did so look forward to his coming home in the evening. She smiled warmly. “Are you ready for supper?”

“Starving.”

Loree strolled into the house. A main living area on the first floor opened into a kitchen area. The bedroom she and Austin shared was off to the side. Stairs within that bedroom led to the second floor where two other rooms waited for them to decide how best to use them.

She had brought a few things from her home near Austin: a rocking chair, her vanity, her music boxes. They had Austin’s bedroom furniture, Dee and Dallas’s table, and a sofa from Amelia and Houston.

Nothing to hint at permanence … and yet, she felt contentment. She was learning a good deal about her husband. He was a man of simple habits. He awoke each morning before dawn and sat on the front porch, waiting for the sunrise, his hands wrapped around a tin cup that held his black coffee. He never started the day with a meal, always ate lunch with the cowhands, and returned in the evening with a voracious appetite.