Chapter 15 #2
“Oh no. Don’t leave. It’s too early for me to go to bed. I’ll just lie there, staring into the dark.”
“I have an idea. Do you play checkers?”
“The board game? Sure, I know how.”
He pulled the pieces from the shelf, set up the board, and held out the checkers to her. “Red or black?”
“I’ll take red.” She watched him position his pieces before she put hers in place. “Like this?” She waited for his nod of approval.
“I thought you said you’d played this before.”
“A time or two. But I’ve always found men smug if they win, as if that proves they are superior. They’re also generally poor losers.”
“I am neither of those two things.” He explained the tenets of the game. “You can go first.”
Her fingers hovered over a button, and she moved it, and checked with him. “That’s a good move, isn’t it?”
“About the only thing you can do at the moment.” Winning was going to be easy. He planned his strategy as she tentatively made each move. He jumped one of her pieces and took it off the board.
“Are you sure that’s fair?” She waited for his nod. “Can I do the same thing?”
“Of course.” And she took three of his checkers.
“Like that?”
Was her innocence real, or was she faking it?
He kinged his checker.
“Wait. You can king yourself? You mean like this?” She kinged her own man and proceeded to clear the board.
At his groan, she gave him a wide-eyed look. “Wait, did I win?” And then she hooted. “You should see the look on your face.”
“I demand a rematch.”
“You’re on.”
“You won’t fool me this time. I’m prepared.”
She set her pieces back in place and beamed with such confidence he narrowed his eyes and studied her intently enough to make her squirm.
Her eyes widened, but he wasn’t fooled. She knew how to play like a champ. But he would beat her. Fair and square.
Dianne stretched her neck to ease the muscles as they played game after game. In each one, she beat him. It crossed her mind to let him win, but he must have guessed her intent.
“I’ll know if you play poorly. I’m not smug, and I’m not a poor loser. But I mean to beat you, fair and square.” His voice hardened. “Sooner or later.”
Her eyes watered with the yawn she could no longer hide. “Maybe we can continue this another time.”
“Now who’s smug?”
“No. I’m tired. You must be, too.”
He tried to hold back a yawn but gave up. “I might be”—he pinched two fingers together and held them up—“a little.”
When he left, she’d be alone in the house with Eddie sleeping in his bed. What if Al came back?
“I’ll show you how to bar the doors.” Jace led her to the front entry and lifted a heavy length of wood from the corner and dropped it into slots on either side of the frame. “No one will be coming in here.”
Her lip hurt from her gnawing on it. “What about the side entrance?”
“I’m going to check the cloakroom for the bar.” He took the lamp to the area off the side entrance that held an assortment of boots and coats.
She didn’t let him out of her sight.
“I found it.” He carried out the length of wood. “As soon as I leave the house, drop this into place and leave it there until you hear me on the other side.”
“I’ll do so.” She shivered. “I don’t like this feeling. As if danger lingers outside the door.” What if—“You’ll be safe, won’t you? If something happens to you—” She couldn’t finish. Instead, she grabbed his arm and clung to him.
“Dianne.” He encircled her in his arms, and she burrowed into his embrace like a kitten seeking attention.
Here, she felt safe. But she couldn’t stay in his embrace. She must be brave. Brave enough to push herself away. However, she failed to force herself from the security of his arms.
“Dianne.” The word rumbled from his throat. “I can stay here if you want.”
His offer tempted her. No one would ever know and judge her. He could sleep on the sofa though it wasn’t long enough to accommodate him adequately. Or in his room upstairs. After all, his bed was still there.
But what if Eddie discovered him? Her son would blurt out the news to others. Besides that, he asked questions. One would be why couldn’t Jace stay in the house with them every night?
And what if those young cowboys returned and found him asleep in the house?
She forced herself to let him go. “I’ll be fine.”
He didn’t release her. “I hope you enjoyed the day. I certainly did.”
Those words reminded her of the pleasures they’d enjoyed.
Not the least of which was—She tipped her face up to thank him.
He didn’t give her a chance to say the words but claimed a kiss, one she didn’t mind returning.
A protest niggled at the back of her mind.
Should she be accepting—welcoming, even—kisses from a man who had not given any indication of a commitment?
It was a question to deal with at another time when she wasn’t so needy and vulnerable.
And then he stepped away and opened the door. “Remember, drop the bar into place when I leave.”
“I will.” But she watched his shadow cross the yard before she did so.
That night, to her surprise, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow and didn’t waken until Eddie patted her cheeks.
She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when hoofbeats warned her of an approaching rider or riders. She crossed to the window, on her way patting the bar still in place over the door.
Cal and Lee returned. What news did they bring? Jace hadn’t mentioned it, but had he expected them to be gone so long?
Their arrival meant two more for breakfast, and she mixed up another batch of biscuits. They’d be going through more bread, too. But she loved baking and cooking and especially enjoyed it when her meals were appreciated.
Eddie banged on the door to be let out.
Jace stepped from the bunkhouse to speak to the young cowboys, so she lifted the bar. “Remember, don’t run behind the horses.”
Skip barked a greeting to Eddie, and the pair raced over to the others. Eddie flung himself at Jace, who grinned and took him up in his arms.
She couldn’t read his eyes at this distance, but his smile reached her like the warmth of the summer sun.
When he turned his attention back to the cowboys, she turned hers back to preparing breakfast. A few minutes later, she yelled for them to come and get it.
Cal and Lee didn’t move toward the house as if uncertain the call included them.
“You two as well.” She made sure they heard the invitation.
The five of them sat at one end of the table. Her meal was obviously enjoyed as the men all had second helpings of everything. Thanks to the chickens, there were eggs enough to give them a bountiful feed.
Talk soon drifted to the boys reporting on their task. A wildcat attack likely injured the cows, leaving them jittery and unwilling to move, but they were soon persuaded.
“Took us a long time to get them back to the others.”
Lee nodded. “And we found a little landslide had blocked the way to water, so we dug that out.”
Jace smiled at the pair. “Knew something had delayed you. Sounds like you did a good job.”
“You’ll be staying around?” Lee’s tone was cautious.
“For now.” Jace handed Eddie a biscuit. “Why don’t you give this to Skip?” As soon as the boy was out of hearing, he told Lee and Cal about Al’s midnight visit.
“Sure glad you’re all right, ma’am.”
Lee murmured agreement to Cal’s words.
“Someone needs to be here at all times until that man is dealt with.” Jace’s steel-hard tone made her shiver.
“Thank you for the meal, ma’am,” the two of them chorused while they pushed from the table.
As they were about to leave, she mentioned that she expected them back at noon.
They glanced at each other. Then Cal nodded. “’Preciate that.”
After they left, Jace turned to her, his expression gentle. “You don’t have to feed them.”
“Why not? Don’t they need to eat?”
“Yes, but they can cook their own meals in the bunkhouse.”
“How can they do that if they’re working? Who fed them when Chet was alive?”
Jace squirmed. “They did. Mae would only cook for Chet and me. She was clear that she didn’t mean to feed a bunch of hungry, unappreciative cowboys.”
“Jace, is it all right if I include them? I like cooking, and they were grateful.”
“If you’re fine with it, I have no objection.”
“Good. That’s settled.”
He twisted his cup round and round between his palms.
“Do you want more coffee?”
“Uh. No. Excuse me. I need to—” He stumbled over the words and didn’t finish as he rushed to the door. “Thanks for the meal.” His boots clattered across the porch.
Dianne stared after him. Had he meant to say something more?
Eddie’s excited voice accompanied Jace to the remains of the barn where they again began to scoop up the debris.
Leaning against the doorframe, she watched her son eagerly helping. He needed to be around men more. She understood that. But her protective instinct as a mother made her curl her fingers into her palms.
He was safe with Jace, she informed her worried thoughts. If—when—Jace decided to stay on the ranch, Eddie would be spending more time with him, perhaps being guided as Chet had guided Jace.
Air exploded from her chest as Eddie fell face-first off the wagon into the pile of broken, scarred wood. There would be sharp edges and perhaps nails posing a danger.