Chapter 5
Cassie woke with a start to feel strong arms carrying her.
Still groggy with the first deep sleep she’d had in too long, she rubbed her cheek against warm, coarse cloth and used her arms to hold herself steady.
She almost went back to sleep before a deep voice asked, “Are you awake, Cass? I’ve got to set you down. I can’t do the door one-handed.”
Cassie’s eyes flickered open, and she gazed into Red Dawson’s face.
They stood on the ground, beside his horse, and he had her cradled in his strong arms. In a split second, it all came back to her.
Griff, the funeral, her wedding, all those bills, Red’s anger.
And here she lay with her arms wrapped around his neck.
She pulled quickly away from him, and he set her down.
She carefully folded her hands, fixed her eyes on the ground, and waited for him to mete out the punishment she had coming.
It took her a second to realize Red was gone. He had walked on without her and was wrestling with a wooden door in the side of a hill. He got it open and said, “This is home, such as it is.”
Cassie stood, transfixed, staring at the door, wondering where her punishment was.
Red waved her forward. “Let me show you what little there is to see, then I’ve gotta do chores.”
Cassie obeyed. He waved her in, and she flinched when his hand got too close, but she quickly controlled herself. Griff had hated that and punished her more severely for it.
She walked into a cave.
Red stepped briskly in behind her and brushed past where she stood frozen near the door. “The front part’s a soddy.” He pointed to an opening on the far wall. “I built it onto the mouth of a cave. The cave is my…our…uh…your bedroom.”
Cassie managed to nod without cringing.
“That one”—he pointed to another much smaller opening with a buffalo hide hanging over it—“is a smaller cave. It’s real cool because a spring comes out of the rock right there. We don’t have to haul water, and it keeps milk and butter chilled. I was real lucky to find this spot.
“The big cave has a second way out that I’ll show you later.
It winds through the mountain some,” Red said.
“What you need for food is in the cooler. That’s what I call the little cave, and what you need for cooking is here.
” He walked across the room to a dry sink and a huge stone fireplace.
He turned toward her. “You cook, don’t you, Cass?
I can do it. I always have for myself. But… well…that is…”
Cassie nodded silently while he fumbled around asking. Then she forced herself to speak. “Yes, I’ll cook.” She’d been good at it at one time, but Griff had very special tastes, and he had never been satisfied with her efforts.
She would have to learn all Red’s personal preferences in food now. If only she could feed him this once tonight without shaming him. For now, he seemed to have forgotten his anger, although a man never forgot for long.
Red moved to a wood box near the fireplace. “I’ll get a fire started, then.” He hurried through the chore.
Cassie compared Red’s fireplace to Griff’s stove. Griff’s had been a huge rectangular monster with water wells and two baking chambers. It had levers to adjust the heat and keep the food cooking at just the right speed. Griff had been disgusted with her for running it so poorly.
Cassie had cooked over an open fire on the trip out West. She’d been better over a fire than she’d ever been with that intimidating cast-iron cookstove.
Red finished lighting the fire. “I’ll get a bucket of water so you can wash and have some for cooking. Then I’ve got chores.”
Red disappeared into the little cave and returned with a large tin bucket.
“I’ll be late. If you’re tired and want to go to bed, it’s through there.
” He pointed to the larger door. “I’ll sleep in the…
” Red faltered. “I—I want you to know—I won’t b–bother you none, Cassie.
Just take the bedroom. I’ll find a place out here. ”
“What would you like for supper?” She didn’t recognize her voice. She didn’t recognize anything about her life. She was still too confused by the changes of the last day.
“Anything’s fine.” He shrugged and plucked a battered hat off a nail by the front door, hanging his nicer Stetson on the same nail.
He was very close to her, studying his broken-down hat intently.
“I know it’s not what you’re used to, Cass.
” He glanced up and away quickly. “I know it’s not fancy.
When you…when Mort was grabbing you, I knew I had no business asking a lady like you to come out here.
But I…there was no one else to…I had to step in. ”
He was embarrassed. Cassie almost smiled. The impulse shocked her. Griff hated frivolity. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled. Red was worried that she didn’t like his home. Something eased inside her, and she laid her hand over his to make him stop torturing his hat.
He looked up at her with pure blue eyes.
“It’s a fine home, Red. And I know what was ahead of me with Mort.” She couldn’t stop herself from squeezing his hand tight. “Thank you. You don’t have to sleep out here. We’re married, and I understand what that means.”
Offering him that assurance almost made her sick, but she knew her duty. Red had his rights. Except she was unclean. But Red would know that. If he didn’t, she’d be glad to remind him.
“Now tell me what to make you for supper. I’d like the first night to be something you really like, and I don’t know your preferences.”
Red smiled. “Anything I don’t have to cook myself would be a treat, Cass. There’s a ham back there if you’d like to fry a couple of slices of that. Anything, and only if you’re feeling up to it. I…I haven’t told you how sorry I am about Griff.”
He had. He’d told her more nicely than anyone else. And to repay him, she’d given him that black eye. But she didn’t correct him.
“I know this has been hard for you. Now your man is gone and a baby is on the way. Even…even if I share the bedroom, I’ll…I’ll keep a respectful distance. You’ll have your time to heal, Cass.”
He looked at her a moment longer, and for a while, Cassie forgot everything but Red and his pure blue eyes.
Then he looked abruptly down at his hat again. “Gotta go.” He almost ran out the door, leaving it open to the fall breeze.
Belle slammed the bridles down on the support beam. She whipped the wall as she hung the traces on the nail, not caring that she missed and the leather and metal slid to the floor with a clank. She turned to the wagon full of supplies and fought the temptation to start throwing bags and cans.
“Ma, what happened?”
Belle turned to see Lindsay staring wide-eyed. Belle closed her eyes and pulled in a long, slow breath, fighting to control her temper. The only trouble with that was if she quit being mad, she was afraid she might cry.
Well, she wasn’t going to do that. That was weak. She’d just stay furious.
She’d always been honest with her daughters, so she saw no reason to be less than that now.
She paced the length of the barn toward Lindsay.
“I saw something in town today that’s just got me all churned up.
” And no, she wasn’t going to talk about Anthony.
She was blunt with her girls, but they didn’t need to understand this.
She got close to her thirteen-year-old and realized Lindsay was only two years younger than Cassie Griffin Dawson had been when she’d married that no-account Lester Griffin. And now at eighteen, Cassie had just been forced into another marriage. It was too much like Belle’s life.
“What, Ma? We don’t hardly know no one in town.”
It was Belle’s life all over again, except Belle had been able to take care of herself. Cassie Griffin was helpless. Belle caught Lindsay by both shoulders. Lindsay, to her credit, didn’t flinch, despite Belle’s blazing temper.
“I’ve done my best, Lindsay, to make sure you’re never helpless. You understand that it’s about more than me needing hands on this ranch. You know how much I love you girls and want to protect you.”
Lindsay shrugged under Belle’s grip. “I know you need help. I know husbands are worthless.”
Belle flinched internally. Not all men were worthless. She knew that. Her pa had worked hard and had been a good rancher. He’d treated her wrong in the end, once he’d been blessed with a son to inherit the ranch after years of grooming Belle to run it. But mostly, her pa was a decent man.
Seth at the general store stood at Muriel’s side and did his full share and more.
Red Dawson owned a fair piece of land and ran a good, solid operation.
That’s the only reason she hadn’t hauled Cassie out of there at gunpoint.
That and knowing she’d probably end up arrested, and her worthless husband, Anthony, would have a free hand to break the unusual agreement she’d made him sign before they were married, leaving her sole owner of the Tanner Ranch.
Plus, the idiot would let her girls starve to death.
She didn’t correct Lindsay, though. Best to believe all men were worthless and prepare yourself to manage alone. Then, if she failed her girls and let them end up married, they’d be able to fend for themselves.
“There was a woman in town…a girl…eighteen, not that much older’n you. Her name’s Cassie Griffin.”
“Eighteen’s a lot older’n thirteen, Ma.”
“But she married today for the second time. She first got hitched when she was fifteen. That’s only a little over two years from your age.”
“Well, I’m not ever getting married, so don’t worry about it. And remember you promised not to either.”
Belle nodded. “I remember. Once Anthony dies, I promise. No more husbands.” Belle laid her hand on her belly and spent five seconds in hard, concentrated prayer.
Please, please, a girl, Lord God. Let it be a girl.
How could she possibly raise a boy up to be anything other than worthless? Any male seemed to have a powerful inclination toward that result.