“But I can’t read by myself.”

  “We’re going to work on that,” Ruby assured her.

  She didn’t want to let on that she had any concern, but it troubled her that the authorities might not let Jane stay. In those moments it became imperative that Ruby read this story to Jane, that she teach her letters and numbers, that she give her the things she’d missed out on. Ruby opened the familiar book, remembering anew the magic and hope within its pages.

  * * *

  After tucking in his son and daughter, Nash waited nervously for Ruby. She hadn’t wanted to deal with what had happened between them, and neither had he. But he figured they’d better get that kiss out in the open so it wasn’t hanging between them, making their arrangement doubly awkward.

  Maybe she would go to bed without coming back downstairs. He stood looking out the kitchen door into the darkness. He should turn in.

  A step behind him alerted him to her presence.

  “I thought you’d gone to bed,” she said.

  “Probably should have. I wanted to talk to you.”

  “About Jane?”

  “That, too. And about what happened between us.”

  She turned as though she would leave the room. “I told you I don’t—”

  “You don’t want to talk about it, I know. It won’t go away.”

  “What is there to say? You’re my sister’s husband.”

  When she put it like that, it sounded wrong. It hadn’t felt wrong. Maybe that was the problem.

  “You made it pretty clear I’m not like her,” Ruby stated.

  “No, you’re not.”

  “But I’m available, is that it? Even though you don’t really like me.”

  “I never said I didn’t like you.”

  She stared at him in disbelief.

  “I was angry at you, Ruby. I was angry at the whole situation. You were easy to take out my frustrations on.”

  “And now? Now you’re not mad that I wasn’t here for Pearl and my mother?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “It still makes me angry, yes. But you’re not who I thought you were.”

  She took a few steps until she was close enough for him to reach out and touch. She had braided her hair and it hung over her shoulder and across her breast. “And what about that kiss? A mistake?” She lowered her voice. “A mistake you might want to make again?”

  Her words and sultry tone shot tremors of heat along his spine...through his abdomen. His fiery reaction caught him unaware. What was happening between them? Was it only him or did she have these feelings, too? When he’d come inside to see her enjoying herself with David, Nash’s insides had seized up.

  Now he looked at her through the doctor’s eyes and saw a beautiful and appealing woman with a full, alluring mouth and a flush on her cheeks. She was dynamically alive and vital, and that scared him somehow. There wasn’t a red-blooded man alive who could look at her and not have thoughts of kissing those lips.

  Acknowledging his attraction definitely muddied the waters and complicated things. “It didn’t feel like a mistake,” he admitted.

  Her eyes widened in the lamplight, and she studied him with a mixture of surprise and hesitancy. “It didn’t?”

  “No.” He flattened his lips and thought for a minute. “I’m not sorry. But I don’t want it to cloud our thinking or get in the way of the things we need to do.”

  “The children have to come first,” she agreed. “They are our priority, and we’re not going to let things get complicated.”

  He hadn’t answered her question about wanting it to happen again. He couldn’t lie. He would definitely be thinking about it. She overflowed with verve and passion. She was fearless, and undaunted by others’ opinions or her own shortcomings.

  David Morris had been impressed by those qualities, too. It wasn’t only her sensuous beauty that made her appealing. It was her unflagging spirit and her vitality.

  Nash held back a comment about how well she and Morris had gotten along. “The doctor said Jane’s undernourished.” He explained everything he’d learned.

  “We can find out how long she was there, and that might give us a better idea about her growth,” Ruby mused. “She mentioned living in a home across from a bakery. That might have been a foster home or a foundling home, but it wasn’t a ranch situation, so the worst of the neglect may be more recent. She’s never had a family or participated in things the rest of us have enjoyed. She feels like an outsider here, but deep down she’s terrified to leave.”

  Ruby’s genuine concern mirrored his. “I’ll do everything I can to keep her here. You have my word.”

  She gave him a look filled with appreciation. “Thank you for putting aside your resentment and giving me a chance.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” He took a step back. “Good night, Ruby.”

  She offered him a soft smile. “Good night.”

  He locked the kitchen door and went up to his room. Thanks to Ruby he had his children back under his roof, and he could rest easy about that. Her presence here wasn’t conducive to sleep, however.

  He thought of her traveling the country with her theater friends and riding that horse all the way to Nebraska on her own. In a way it bothered him, but on the other hand she impressed him beyond measure. He couldn’t think of another woman who would be so independent or daring. Pearl would certainly have never packed a bag, saddled a horse and ridden alone for weeks and weeks. Few females would have.

  Ruby was not like other women.

  And those differences kept him awake at night.

  * * *

  Georgia hadn’t slept well since Miles had shown up. Cosmo’s son—the son he hadn’t known about—brought back to life something that had been over and buried. Her husband had disclosed his mistake all those years ago. They had dealt with it, put it behind them and gone on with building their lives. Now those experiences had come to life again, and her grown children were forced to deal with them, as well. She had mixed feelings about Miles, but even though his appearance made things uncomfortable, he was a young man who deserved to have his feelings recognized. She did feel compassion toward him.

  Miles had accompanied Cosmo to the mill for a couple days, but last evening she’d asked him to stay at the house today. Cosmo finished his breakfast and gave her a customary kiss on the cheek before leaving.

  Georgia got up and poured Miles a fresh cup of coffee before seating herself closer. “I’d like to hear about your life growing up in Burlington, Miles.”

  He studied her for a moment. “You’ve been very kind to me.”

  “I can only imagine what you must have thought about Cosmo. About his family. You are as innocent in what happened between him and your mother as my children are.”

  “And as you are.”

  She shrugged. “The point is we have to figure out how to go on from here. I think we can do that if we get to know each other better. I hope so, anyway.”

  He took a sip of his coffee. “For a long time I believed that my father had died. Of course, that’s the story I got from my mother, the same story my aunt and uncle told to explain why Mother had no husband.

  “I was curious, so I asked questions. I asked to see their certificate of marriage, something of my father’s, asked why there were no photographs. Eventually, my aunt convinced my mother to tell me the truth. She told me my father had been married when she met him. And she made me promise not to seek him out.”

  “How old were you then?”

  “Twelve, I think. Old enough to understand the stigma of illegitimacy. But I respected my mother’s wishes and would never have humiliated her.”

  “She must have been a very brave woman.”

  Miles met Georgia’s gaze with a question in his eyes.

  “Letting someone else raise you would have been the easy thing to do,” she explained.

  “Her life was never easy. She did office work for a steelyard during the day, and in the evenings she cooked and cleaned for a judge.”

  “You said you worked, too.”

  “After school I went to a cabinetmaker’s, where I cleaned brushes and swept floors. I had no idea how much it took to live comfortably, but we stayed with my aunt and uncle. So thanks to them, apparently my mother was able to save a lot of what we earned. When my uncle died he left money to both my aunt and my mother, and I was able to go to college.”

  “She sounds like an amazing woman, Miles.”

  “I only wish she would have lived long enough for me to do something for her in return. She died before my graduation.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “All along I had planned to start a practice and get her a house. I wanted her to take it easy and let someone else take care of her. After her death, I could think of nothing but retribution. My father became the target for a lot of anger. I believed he’d deliberately used and rejected her.”

  “Cosmo would never have done that. If he’d known about you and your mother, he would have done something. I don’t know what, but he would have helped.” Cosmo had always been a loving and attentive husband and father, had always provided for Georgia and their children. She had no doubt he would have taken care of Miles and his mother, too, at any cost to his reputation.

  “I regret the pain I’ve brought your family,” Miles said uneasily. “At first I didn’t care who I hurt, but now that I see who you are and understand none of you had any ill intentions toward me or my mother, I’m sorry.”

  “I think you’re lost, Miles. That’s what I think. You lost the person who took care of you and saw to your future. That kind of grief can consume us. In your grief, you wanted to lash out at the man you believed made your mother’s life so hard. Your need to settle the score kept you going. Then you learned Cosmo is not the monster you imagined. What do you do with those feelings now?”

  He glanced away and his jaw worked.

  Georgia placed her hand over his on the white tablecloth. He flinched, but moments later he turned his hand to clasp hers and met her gaze again. “How is it you’re so forgiving?”

  “You’ve done nothing you need to be forgiven for. As for my husband...well, I forgave him a long time ago. He’s done nothing since to prove he didn’t deserve that forgiveness.”

  “Nash and Vivian don’t feel that way.”

  “They’ve only just learned of it. Discovering the unpleasant truth about one’s father takes some time to come to terms with. Am I right?”

  “You’re right.”

  The sound of the front door opening and closing arrested their attention.

  Footsteps sounded along the hallway and Nash entered the dining room. His gaze took in the two of them seated at the corner of the table and then shot to their clasped hands.

  “Nash! I’m glad you stopped by.” Georgia stood and got a cup and saucer from the sideboard.

  “Am I interrupting something?” he asked.

  “I should go,” Miles said, and started to rise.

  “Please don’t,” Georgia said, stilling him with an upraised hand. “Have a seat, Nash.”

  He seated himself on the chair Cosmo normally occupied and looked at his half brother.

  “I asked Miles to stay this morning so we could talk. The more we know about each other, the more that’s out in the open, the better we can deal with this situation. With each other.” Georgia set a full cup in front of Nash and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Miles is welcome to stay with us for as long as he wishes, of course. Among other things, your father and I have talked about how we will introduce him to people, and I’d like to know what you think. Will you stay and talk with us?”

  Nash nodded. “Yes. Of course.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  On Sunday Ruby stayed behind while Nash took the children to church. She had learned where Little Bird lived, and so she visited her. Remembering the woman’s intuitive concern, she hoped to find guidance for how to help Jane through this transition. Little Bird didn’t let her down. She shared herbs and a tincture to improve the health of Jane’s organs.

  It comforted Ruby to know another person who remembered her mother and held no criticism toward Ruby’s life and decisions.

  Nash returned after church, mentioning nothing about going to see his family, so the rest of the day was spent like a weekday.

  On Monday Dugger prepared the buckboard, and Ruby took the children into town, where she ordered books and slates, and several pieces of clothing for Jane. She had prepared Jane for a visit to the doctor, and David Morris was in his office, so he looked her over, declaring her injuries much improved and noting her overall health.

  “I visited my Cheyenne friend yesterday,” she told him. “I explained what you’d told us about Jane’s health, and she gave me a tincture to help with healthy growth.”

  “Little Bird’s reputation is a good one. I don’t know much about Indian medicine,” he told her. “I’m curious to know what it is and how it affects her. I want to keep a close eye on Jane.

  Ruby nodded her agreement.

  “I enjoyed myself at supper the other night.”

  “It was the least I could do.”

  “Perhaps you could join me for lunch at the café?” he said, while the children studied a drawing of human bone structure on the wall. “The children, too, of course.”

  Ruby was taken aback by his invitation. She had enjoyed his visit when he’d come to the ranch, and she liked talking to him, but she didn’t want him to think they were more than friends. She didn’t hold romantic feelings toward him. “Thank you, but I still have a lot to accomplish today. I need to get back to the Lazy S.”

  “Maybe another time, then.”

  She had gathered the children and ushered them out.

  It was obvious that Nash had been watching for their return. He rode out to meet the wagon and looked relieved to see them. Her first thought was that he didn’t trust her, but then she remembered how her sister had died and amended her thinking.

  Even though they’d talked about the kiss and agreed they couldn’t let anything interfere with the attention and focus the children needed, Ruby and Nash had tiptoed around each other since the previous week. She breathed easy when he headed out the following morning.

  She browned meat and peeled potatoes, listening to the children’s conversation on the porch. Midafternoon, she had settled them at the table with sliced apples when a buckboard pulled into the dooryard. “Stay here while I see who it is,” Ruby told the children.

  “Is it Grandmother?” Claire asked.

  “No, it’s not a buggy.”

  She walked toward the fellow who climbed down from the seat.

  “Howdy, miss.” He whipped his cap from his head. “You Ruby Dearing?”

  “That’s me.”

  “Willie Nestor,” he said by way of introduction. “Got a couple of trunks in the back here.” He gestured to the rear of the conveyance. “They been at the station for a few days, so I figured I’d just bring ’em on out for ya.”

  “I’d forgotten all about them. Thank you so much for your trouble.”

  “Weren’t no trouble, ma’am. I’ll haul ’em in iffin you tell me where you want ’em.”

  “Well, they actually go upstairs, but I don’t want you to trouble yourself with that. If you leave them on the porch, my brother-in-law will take them up.”

  “Nash Sommerton your brother-in-law?” At her nod, he continued, “Won’t be no trouble a’tall. Just show me where.”

  Belatedly, she realized the man had brought her trunks in hopes of payment for the job. Hauling them was likely his livelihood. “Thank you. I’ll hold the door.”

  While he went back for the other one, she got coins from her room. After he’d deposited the second trunk, she paid him. He thanked her and went on his way.

  “What’s in those big trunks that man took up?” Claire asked, wide-eyed with interest.

  “The rest of my dresses and a few costumes. Things I collected on my travels. You know, I’ve been getting along just fine without them. I’d forgotten there was so much. I don’t suppose I need all that now.”

  Her niece wore an expectant expression. “Can we look?”

  Jane gave Ruby an interested glance, but said nothing.

  “There’s nothing here that can’t wait,” Ruby answered. “Let’s go upstairs.”

  Claire squealed and ran for the stairway. Joel picked up a wooden horse and followed. Jane trailed after them.

  The trunks had been set end to end in the open space, taking up a good portion of the floor in her mother’s old room. Ruby went to a drawer and took out the keys that unlocked them.

  She opened the first one, and the children crowded around.

  On top were half a dozen hats she’d carefully packed in tissue paper and nestled together.

  “Ohhh,” Claire said with awe. “They’re so pretty. Did you wear all these?”

  Ruby nodded. “People in the big cities dress up every day to shop and eat in restaurants, and just to stroll and be seen.”

  “Put one on,” the little girl begged.

  Ruby selected a green felt hat with a long feather plume and a silk bird, and adjusted it at a jaunty angle on her head.

  “It’s so beautiful!” Claire exclaimed.

  Ruby removed tissue from another and settled it on Claire’s head. It was too big, but the girl rolled her eyes upward to look at the brim and then ran to the cheval mirror and studied her reflection. Ruby set an elegant gray hat with pearl-studded netting on Jane and adjusted the smart veil across her eyes.

  Jane blushed, but she moved to stand beside Claire and look at herself.

  “My want a hat, too!” Joel said with a pout.

  Ruby remembered a wool-and-silk knit cap she’d worn one Chicago winter, and dug to the bottom of the trunk to find it. “Here’s one for you, Joel. It’s very handsome for a boy.”

  He grinned and wore it while he galloped his miniature carved horse across the windowsill.

 

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