Lorraine Heath (12 page)

“Drink up,” he ordered before taking his own seat. His mind drifted as the silence gave way to the slurping sounds created by small mouths and the dragging of cups back and forth across the table.

“What do you think she was dreaming about, Uncle Jesse?”

Brought out of his lengthy reverie, Jesse glanced at his nephew. His hands were wrapped around the cup, his concerned expression striving to appear grown-up. Shaking his head, he gazed at his own hands wrapped around the cup. The cocoa had cooled long ago. He’d never brought the cup to his lips. “I don’t know. Been a lot of changes in her life. Her father and brother died. She got married. Found herself with three children—”

“You don’t think we’d give her nightmares!” Indignation resounded from the small male voice.

He looked down the table. Taylor closed her eyes. Her head bobbed, then her eyes sprang open. Hannah waited expectantly for his answer as her tongue darted out to pick up any lingering traces of cocoa on her lips. He smiled. “No, you wouldn’t give her nightmares.”

“Maybe she was dreaming ‘bout that kiss you give her. Billy said you was sticking your tongue down her throat. Maybe she was dreaming you was trying to choke her.”

Jesse bit back a retort on Billy’s description of the kiss. “I did not stick my tongue down her throat. And my kisses aren’t known to give women nightmares.” He shoved the cup away.

Grabbing the discarded cup, Aaron poured its contents into the bowl on the floor beside his chair. He smiled as Ranger lapped greedily at the offering. “Maybe it was that man she was talking to out behind the barn.”

Jesse’s gaze snapped over to Aaron. “What man?”

Aaron lifted both bony shoulders until they nearly touched his ears.

“What’d he look like?”

“Like he was friends with the devil.”

Standing on the wooden chair, Aaron scrutinized each likeness tacked to the wall. Looking at these stark faces, etched in black and white, made him feel as though some critter that lived in mud was crawling over his skin.

“Well?”

He turned to his uncle. “I don’t see him.”

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Jesse jerked his hat off his head and tunneled his callused fingers through his hair. It had been a long shot, but ever since Maddie had screamed in her sleep, he’d been more than curious about her past and the man with whom Aaron had seen her talking. Buying a birthday present for Hannah had provided him with the perfect excuse to bring Aaron into town to see if he recognized the man.

It was possible a description of the man was on the wall, but the descriptions were so vague, he thought it unlikely an eight-year-old boy would recognize the man if he read the descriptions to him.

“All right.” He lifted Aaron out of the chair and set him on the floor. “Run and find Hannah a present so we can get back.”

Placing his foot on the broad seat of the chair, he rested his forearm across his raised thigh. Studying the images, he wondered which one was the cause of Maddie’s fears. He yanked a yellowing sheet of paper from the wall. “McGuire, you need to keep current on these posters. Sam Bass has been dead four years.”

“Hell, man, I imagine half those desperadoes are dead or in prison. I only put the posters up because the sheriff makes me, and he don’t make me take them down, so I don’t bother. Don’t imagine anyone pays much attention to those things, anyway.”

Someone had paid a lot of attention to them, however. Maddie had seen something here that had put the fear of God into her. Not the kind of abstract fear one experiences when danger is in the air, but the kind of concrete fear that only comes from personal knowledge. Somewhere on this wall was at least one man who had touched her life in some way, who might be touching it still.

Impatiently, he glanced at the child tugging on his sleeve.

“Uncle Jesse, I been calling you. I found a present for Hannah. Come see.”

Reluctantly, Jesse scraped the chair across the floor and deposited it before the black potbellied stove. Then he followed his nephew through the store.

“You ever seen anything like it?” His face beaming, Aaron held up a tiny white teacup with dainty hand-painted red roses adorning its edge. “It’s got everything. Tiny plates and bowls. And a pot for making tea. Well, not really for making tea. Just for pretending, but she’d love it, don’t you think?”

“Reckon she would.”

“Does that mean we’ll get it for her?”

His answer came in the form of a broad smile and a ruffling of the young boy’s hair.

Hannah’s tiny fingers plucked at the string. Then she slowly peeled the brown paper back. Birthdays didn’t come very often, and she enjoyed feeling like a princess on her day. They’d eaten supper in the grand dining room with the pretty dishes with the blue flowers. Everyone was wearing their best clothes and talking to her like she was special. And when she finished opening her present, they’d eat her cake. A big chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

Lifting the lid on the box, she peered inside, but it was too dark to see anything. She flipped the lid off. Her mouth formed a perfect circle as she released a pleased sigh. Carefully, she picked up a tiny plate.

Taylor scooted over toward the box and looked inside. “I see?”

While the girls examined the delicate contents of the box, Aaron boasted, “I picked it out.”

“You did a fine job, son,” Charles said, his smile as bright as Hannah’s.

“Wish I’d done as good with the wanted posters.”

Jesse stopped himself from clearing his throat. To do so now would only draw attention to Aaron’s remark, and he hoped everyone would overlook it.

“What wanted posters?” Maddie asked quietly, fear reflected in her eyes.

Hoping to minimize the damage, Jesse leaned forward. “It’s not important—”

“Uncle Jesse wanted me to see if I could point out the man you was talking to out behind the barn.”

Jesse dropped back into his chair. Why in the hell hadn’t he explained to Aaron this was a secret?

“What man?” Charles asked.

“You’re sneaking around spying on me?” Maddie asked, disbelief and hurt mirrored in her voice.

“I wasn’t sneaking around,” Aaron answered even though she was glaring at Uncle Jesse. “Me and Billy just went off to talk, and we seen you.”

“What man?” Charles asked again.

“Ask your brother. He knows so bleedin’ much.” She strode to the table. “Come on. It’s time to have some cake.”

She began cutting off huge ragged pieces, dropping them on plates, and slinging the plates into place at the table. She walked over, picked up Taylor, and set her in her chair. Then she picked up Hannah, who writhed and shrieked because she didn’t want to leave her dishes. Bending down, Maddie picked up a tiny plate and a cup. Then she carted Hannah over to the table, set her on a chair, and placed her precious dishes beside her. Hannah stuck her fingers into her piece of cake and scooted it onto the smaller plate, where it hung over the sides, the icing oozing onto the table. She stuck her sticky finger into Taylor’s mouth.

The male members of the family trudged over to the table like convicted criminals and sat quietly.

“Happy birthday, Hannah,” Maddie said, forcing a bright smile as she sliced into her piece of cake with a fork and shoved the piece into her mouth. She wasn’t certain she’d be able to swallow past the lump growing in her throat.

A round of happy birthdays followed, and everyone began to eat silently.

Jesse leaned over the table. “Maddie.”

“Don’t ‘Maddie’ me. You had no right.”

“Maddie, the sight of those wanted posters scared the hell out of you, and don’t deny it. Fear was clearly written all over your face. Then Aaron sees you talking to a man we don’t know, and you wake up in the middle of the night screaming. I just wanted to know why.”

“Then why didn’t you ask me?”

He leaned back in his chair. “All right. I’m asking. Who was the man you were talking to?” “None of your damn business.”

Jesse threw his hands up in the air. “Do you know who he is, Charles?”

“No, but I agree with Maddie. You had no right to do all this prying behind her back, and I don’t appreciate it one bit that you used my son to do it.”

“Somebody needs to do it, because you sure as hell didn’t before you married her. What do you know about her?”

Charles bristled. “I know all I need to know.”

“A person is made up of their past, Charles. You know absolutely nothing about Maddie’s.”

“Marriage is supposed to be based on trust!” Maddie threw out, her cheeks a fiery red, her eyes daring Jesse to deny it.

Charles was about to explain that the trust was supposed to be between a wife and her husband, not a woman and her brother-in-law, when Jesse leaned across the table and locked his gaze onto hers.

“All right. I’ll stop making inquiries. I’ll stop being curious if you’ll answer one question.” She tilted up her chin.

“Is there any chance that man you talked to would harm these children?”

She glanced slowly around the table at the small children staring at her through brown eyes. She cherished their faces, anticipated their hugs, and adored the lilt of their childish voices. Her gaze finally shifted to Jesse’s hard, unforgiving countenance. “No, he would not harm these children.” And she prayed her lie would not come back to haunt her.

Jesse came menacingly out of his chair, leaned over the cake, and planted his hands firmly on the table. “I pray to God you’re telling the truth because I promise you this: if you aren’t and anything happens to these children, the nightmares your friend out behind the barn gives you will seem like pleasant dreams once I’m done with you.”

Charles jumped to his feet. “Jesse, I won’t tolerate you threatening my wife that way.”

Maddie shoved herself away from the table and ran from the room, slamming the back door as she rushed outside.

Charles gave his brother an icy glare. “Can’t you ever forget, for one moment, that you were a lawman?”

Jesse watched him stalk from the room and then glanced around the table. He’d been left with two little girls crying, their large teardrops falling into their cake.

“Uncle Jesse?”

He slid his gaze over to Aaron.

“Maybe we shoulda kept looking at the wanted posters a secret.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

Charles caught Maddie on the outskirts of the yard before she disappeared into the trees. He placed his hand on her shoulder, turned her around, and welcomed her into his embrace. Her sobs fell upon his chest. “Ah, Maddie.”

“Charles, I swear to you, nothing in my past will hurt those children. It’s filled with bitter memories, that’s all. It’s got nothing to do with my life now, the happiness you’ve given me.”

“I believe you.” Leaning back, he tilted her chin until he gazed evenly into her eyes. “And I trust you. I don’t know why, but the first time I set eyes on you, I knew you’d be a good mother to my children. That’s all that’s important to me. Jesse is a big brother who had twenty years of not having anyone to be a big brother to. Sometimes he gets carried away with his concern.”

“Sometimes? Seems to me he’s always getting carried away. I don’t know how he does it, but he brings out the worst in me. He can make me so angry.”

He smiled. “It’s just part of his charm.”

She issued a very unladylike snort. “He hasn’t an ounce of charm in his entire body.”

“Oh, he has some. You just have to look deep to see it.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Now, come on. Let’s go see if we can undo the damage. I thought I heard the girls crying as I left.”

Keeping his arm around her shoulder, he led her toward the house. She eased in closer against his side. She found his defense of her comforting, but woven through the comfort were threads of disquiet, for his trust was undeserved. She forced herself to ignore the darker threads. “I should have held my temper in check,” she said, quietly. “It wasn’t fair to ruin Hannah’s birthday.”

He opened the door, and they stepped into the kitchen. “Children recover quickly. I’m sure by tomorrow Hannah will have forgotten, and she’ll think this was the best birthday she’s ever had.” He tilted his head. “Listen. I can’t even hear them crying anymore.”

They walked into the dining area, and Maddie felt her anger at Jesse slipping away. She managed to grab onto the tail end of it and rein it back in. She wasn’t going to easily forgive him this time, but she found it difficult to remain angry at a man who was sitting on the floor, awkwardly holding the delicate handle of a tiny teacup.

“More tea, sir?” Hannah asked.

He held the cup out toward his hostess. “Yes, ma’am.”

She tilted the teapot over his cup and watched the imaginary tea pour out.

“That’s more than enough, Miss Hannah,” Jesse said.

She set the teapot on the floor. What remained of the chocolate cake was sitting on a plate on the floor. Taylor spooned out some cake and flicked it onto a tiny plate. Face beaming, she handed it to Jesse.

“Thank you, Miss Taylor. I do believe this is the best cake I’ve ever eaten.”

Charles moved away from Maddie. “Well, I hate to put an end to the party so soon, but Maddie and I need to put the children to bed now.” He lifted Taylor and handed her to Maddie. Then he reached for Hannah, bringing her into his arms. “Jesse, why don’t you see if you can clean up this little mess you made … that part of it that can be cleaned.”

Jesse nodded, then glanced over at Maddie. She averted her gaze and walked out of the room. She stopped when she got to the stairs.

Aaron sat on the bottom step, holding Ranger close against his chest, his fingers buried in the puppy’s thick fur. Solemnly, he lifted his gaze. “Didn’t mean no harm.”

Maddie sat on the steps. “I know, Aaron. I’m not upset with you.”

“Uncle Jesse don’t like to see you having nightmares. He was just gonna get that man and make him leave you be. You were the one that said a person didn’t need to ask if he was doing something good.”

Maddie sighed. “This is different, Aaron.”

“How come?”

“It’s hard to explain. You, Hannah, Taylor, your pa, and your Uncle Jesse are a family. I was beginning to feel like I was part of your family. Tonight made me feel like I wasn’t.”

“Why?”

“If your Uncle Jesse saw you playing with a boy he didn’t know, do you think he’d go around town asking people who the boy was, or do you think he’d come and ask you?”

“He’d ask me,” Aaron responded, no doubts echoed in his young voice. “Why?”

He furrowed his young brow. “On account of I’m family?”

“That and he trusts you. Now, go put Ranger in his box in the kitchen, then come on to bed.”

He stood as his father placed his hand beneath Maddie’s elbow and helped her to her feet.

“Hurry,” Charles commanded.

Aaron nodded. Hugging Ranger close, he rushed through the dining room into the kitchen. He placed the puppy in the box by the cast-iron stove. “Don’t reckon I’d better sneak you into my room tonight. It’s bad enough getting in trouble when it ain’t my fault. Don’t want to get into trouble when it is.” He pulled the remains of a worn blanket over the dog’s head. Then he walked back into the dining room. Jesse was stacking the dishes on the table.

“’Night, Uncle Jesse.”

Jesse glanced over at him. “Sleep tight.”

Aaron nodded and walked solemnly out of the room. Jesse decided then and there to sneak the puppy and his box to Aaron’s room once everyone else had settled in for the night. He owed at least that much to the boy. He glanced over at the table. The mess could stay there until morning.

Picking up a lamp, he walked down the hallway to the study. With its shelves lined with books, the room smelled of must and knowledge. He wished he could garner some of that knowledge tonight.

He poured himself a drink, sat in the big leather chair, and stared into the glass. Just his luck, the only thing they’d have in the house was whiskey, and looking into it was like looking into her eyes. It seemed he’d been studying the whiskey in the glass an eternity before he heard Charles walk into the room.