Chapter 5
It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. There hadn’t been a sign of the two men so far, and Whitney was beginning to relax.
She was sitting down to breakfast with Mac to discuss options for the winter.
He wanted to get married and be done with it, but she wasn’t ready for that.
Barring marriage, he wanted her to close up the house and transfer the animals to his place.
They could stay with him until they had word about her father.
She’d actually been considering his option, mulling it over in her mind.
It would be the thing to do if they were really going to get married.
Right? But what if it didn’t work out and they decided they hated each other?
Then she’d be stuck there until spring because she knew his sense of responsibility wouldn’t bring her back until the spring thaw.
And even if he changed his mind about wanting her, he would be too gentlemanly to put her back in the cabin before the winter was over.
Besides that, what if those men did come back? Everything she’d worked so hard to protect and preserve would be gone or ruined. When her father came back, if he came back, there wouldn’t be much to go home to if she left her home unattended. She would feel like she’d let him down.
When the low rumbling of an engine in the distance sounded in their ears, she froze, her fork loaded with scrambled eggs halfway to her mouth. Could that be her dad’s truck? It was getting louder with each passing second. Who would be coming up here if not for her dad? No one came up here.
Luke and Amelia were staring at her, and she stared back, a feeling of panic sweeping through her as her gaze flashed to Mac. Her stomach threatened to heave its contents. If it were her dad, what would he think?
Mac stared back at her, looking horrified as if the same thoughts had just occurred to him. Suddenly, they all rammed their chairs back and ran for the door.
Whitney yanked the door open and saw that it was her dad’s truck, loaded with all sorts of stuff, pulling up near the front of the house.
A mixture of feelings assailed her. Joy that he was all right, anger that he had been gone so long, and last but not least, trepidation at the look on her father’s face when his gaze rose behind her to Mac.
She saw him reach for his shotgun off the rack behind him and get out of the truck.
“What are you doing, child?” he growled, advancing menacingly with the shotgun on his arm. “I come home to find you with a man in the house? Is this the way you were raised?” He studied Mac through half lids, glancing from one to the other.
“I...it’s not what it seems, sir,” Whitney stammered.
“I can explain, sir,” Mac cut in, stepping around her to face the big man.
“I’ll deal with you after I’ve greeted my daughter properly,” Daniel replied, pulling Whitney gently into his arms despite his displeasure and holding her close. “I’ve missed you, child.”
“I’ve missed you too, Daddy,” she whispered, trembling in his arms.
Apparently not seeing Mac as a real threat, he handed the shotgun to Whitney and hunkered down to greet Luke and Amelia. Amelia threw herself joyfully into his arms. “Daddy,” she squealed. Then her lip dropped. “Why you stay gone so long?”
Daniel chuckled. “I’m sorry, honey, it’s a long story.” He pulled Luke into his embrace with his daughter. “Hello, son. You been taking care of things?”
Luke’s chest filled with pride. “Yes, sir.”
“That’s my little man,” his father praised. Then he stood up. “Luke, take your sister into the house. I need to have a conversation with Whitney’s young man here.”
“But...but, Daddy,” Whitney stammered, flushing, and then going pale.
He watched as the children obeyed quietly, and then he turned his attention to Mac.
Mac stiffened with wariness. “Sir, my name is...”
“I know who you are, Wainwright,” he stated bluntly. “What I don’t know is what you’re doing in my home in the early morning with my daughter.”
“There was a cougar in the area and two questionable men chasing it, so I’ve slept in the barn for the last two nights to make sure the men didn’t come back,” Mac replied.
“Where’s the cougar now?”
“It’s dead. I gave the carcass to the men.”
“And what were you doing here on Thanksgiving?” he asked in a steely voice.
“Dad...” Whitney tried to interfere, but her father just held up his hand, indicating silence on her part. She fumed impatiently, but she didn’t contradict him.
Mac cleared his throat. “I...ah... discovered your family by finally catching the poacher who grabbed one of my turkeys. It turned out to be your daughter. She kindly invited me to Thanksgiving dinner, and I accepted.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “That invitation to dinner just rewarded you with a wife, Mr. Wainwright. Now that you’ve been in her company for three days with no chaperone, you’ve impugned her honor.”
“Dad...” Whitney objected again, turning red with embarrassment, but Daniel just held up his hand again, and she subsided. “Go in the house, Whitney. Wainright and I need to talk.
Whitney was furious, but respect for her father was deeply ingrained. She whirled around and went inside, slamming the door behind her.
***
AFTER WHITNEY LEFT, Daniel patted his shotgun with a steely gaze. “You understand me, son?”
Mac could read the outrage beneath the soft words.
He was no fool, and neither was Daniel Johnson.
He stared at the big man with the rawboned hands and hooked nose.
He was not an old man, but he had quite a lot of graying hair among the dark blonde, and a mustache above his lip.
Whitney’s father was every bit as big as he was, and Mac knew he could pack a wallop if he chose to punch him.
“I do, sir. But I assure you, nothing happened. I have too much respect for her. I intend to marry her if she’ll have me, so the shotgun isn’t needed.”
Daniel stared. “You’ve already proposed? And you’ve only known her for three days?” he asked suspiciously.
Mac nodded warily. “Yes, sir. I admire and respect her spirit and what she’s done here in your absence.
She explained and showed me her hard work, telling me she planned to go to town next spring and get a job if you hadn’t returned.
She also expressed how she didn’t want to lose Amelia and Luke. I wanted to help her.”
He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Aw, hell...I know it sounds lame, but I think I fell in deep just from the kindness and determination she showed for her brother and sister. I want a woman like that, sir, and I am already experiencing deeper feelings for her. I think, if she agrees, that we will get on well together.”
Daniel was silent for a moment, and Mac watched as his eyes seemed to glaze slightly, as if he was thinking of something—or someone.
Finally, he spoke with a gentle smile. “I can see how that could happen, Wainwright,” he replied, his body seeming to relax.
“It was the same way for me and Danielle.
I loved that girl from the moment she first smiled at me.
His voice broke slightly. “It appears you have the means to take care of my daughter, Wainwright, and I’m pleased with that part of this deal.
And if Whitney feels the same way, you both have my blessing.
“No shotgun?” Mac joked warily.
Daniel chuckled. “No shotgun. I needed to make sure your intentions were honorable. No one is allowed to take advantage of my children if I can help it.”
Mac relaxed his tense stance as well. He could afford to be generous now that Whitney’s dad was on board. “Call me Mac.”
“Mac then,” Daniel replied, “but I’m curious.
If you two have already talked about marriage, then why didn’t you take her and the other two youngins to your place for the winter if you knew she wasn’t prepared?
As an engaged couple, that would have been appropriate, especially with other women in the residence. You have chaperones there.”
Mac shrugged ruefully. “I tried that—she wouldn’t go for it. And I have to admit, with me checking up on her, I’m guessing she’d have been fine with the preparations she has made with a little more help. You should be proud of your daughter, sir. She’s a very hard worker.”
Daniel smiled a sad smile. “She’s a lot like her mother—hard working to a fault. If my wife hadn’t worked so hard, maybe she would have lived longer. But that’s on me; I brought her here thinking it would be safer. Didn’t turn out that way.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “No need to be sorry. As for Whitney, I am proud of her. And I’m guessing she has feelings for you, or she would already have run you off with her shotgun.”
Mac chuckled. “She is a spitfire.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed, “We have another aspect to consider, though. I’d say wait until her birthday in February to get married, but given the situation, we need to get you two to the preacher.
Folks have already started talking. I overheard a couple of boys in Bolton when I came through talking about how their boss, Mac Wainwright, had a little gal he was shacking up with in the hills.
Since I’d seen you in town once before with your sister and your mother, I knew who they were talking about.
I also knew my property bordered yours. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together, so I got here as fast as I could.
I don’t want anything bad going around about my daughter. She doesn’t deserve that.”
Mac frowned. “I disapprove of gossip, and I’ll address that when I get back to the ranch.” He had a few ideas about who might have been doing it. Talking about Whitney was unacceptable.
“You do that, son.”
“If I might ask, where have you been, sir?” Mac asked curiously.