Her Wild Journey_Seeing Ranch series Read online

  “You know what, I think,” Beau answered, gaze straight ahead. They were almost to the stables.

  “If you wanted to punch him back, I wouldn’t have so much as batted an eye.”

  Beau shook his head. “Let me be, Mitch.”

  “Beau.”

  There was such strain in his voice, Beau had to stop. He looked at the other man, his shirt streaked with dirt from where he’d taken a spill earlier, his eyes wide and imploring. He was the closest thing to family that Beau had—another reason why Beau needed to fight his demons all on his own. No good would come from dragging someone else into his problems.

  “Tell me about it,” Mitch said.

  Beau pierced Mitchell’s gaze with his own, silently letting him know there was no negotiating. “No, Mitch.”

  Mitch’s shoulders sagged, like all the air was being pushed out of him.

  “You’ve always been real good to me,” Beau said, “and I appreciate that, but this is something you can’t be a part of.”

  Mitch looked like he wanted to argue, but in the end, he just sadly nodded. Lips pressed together so hard they hurt, Beau walked on, leaving his boss and friend behind.

  The trickle of blood running down his chin was joined by a swelling in his jaw. In his hand, the ring he’d given Cadence cut into his skin as he squeezed it tightly.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  27. Cadence

  Chapter twenty-seven

  Cadence closed her eyes and rolled her neck around. She’d slept terribly the night before and the nice bed the Creerys’ had set her up in had nothing to do with it. In fact, the little guest corner they’d put up for her behind a curtain in the main room was made even lovelier by the presence of their very pregnant cat, Lulu, who had come to curl up on Cadence’s feet during the night.

  It had been the most obvious of reasons. Despite knowing she was doing the right thing, Cadence still could not get Beau off her mind.

  One day, she promised herself. One day, things would be easier. And if they were not, she could always return to Baltimore. Though she did not want to do that, at least if it were to happen, she would have school teaching experience under her belt. Finding a new teaching position would not be too difficult.

  Watching the children enjoy their recess through the window, she prayed it would not come to that. Her decision to not write the mail-order bride agency had been a good one. Shallow Springs was a wonderful place to be. She just had to be willing to ride out the hard times first. It still had not been two full days since she last saw Beau and surely, she was only experiencing the initial, most painful period of heartbreak.

  Feeling better already, Cadence went to put another log in the stove—but stopped when a rider wearing a low hat entered the school yard. A few of the children paused their play to speak with him and little Maggie pointed at the schoolhouse. The man tipped his hat before dismounting and leading his horse out of the wind.

  Cadence had the door open before the man could knock. “Good afternoon.”

  “Ma’am.” He tipped his hat. “How are you doing?”

  “Just fine. Come in. Warm yourself.”

  She opened the stove’s door to let more of the heat escape and the man gratefully rubbed his palms together in front of it. “I’m Johnny Dwayne, ma’am. From Hudson.”

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance. Cadence Hurley.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. “I have a message for you about those schoolbooks of yours. Paul Moore, he was supposed to bring them to you today, but he hurt his leg in a groundhog hole. Twisted his ankle up bad.”

  “I am sorry to hear that,” Cadence murmured, her heart sinking. Mr. Lenox had stopped by the schoolhouse just that morning to tell her the good news: the schoolbooks would be there that very afternoon! The announcement had cheered Cadence up tremendously, but now, this reversal of fortune made her feel as if she were falling into a black hole.

  Snow would hit the town any day. Once it did, there was no telling when the books might make it to Shallow Springs. It could be another week or two. Or, if the winter was a particularly hard one, it could be months. That was precious days of education lost. Winter was the best time for the children to study, as once warm weather came, many of them would be busy helping their families in the fields.

  “I would have brought them myself,” Johnny Dwayne sheepishly explained, “But I’m heading out to my cousin’s homestead ten miles west of here. I wouldn’t have been able to make it before nightfall in a wagon.”

  “I understand,” Cadence nodded. “Thank you.”

  She tried to smile, but her pathetic attempt was so embarrassing, she had to turn away.

  The door opened again, but instead of one of the children, Nat came in.

  “Afternoon,” he said, taking off his hat.

  Mr. Dwayne nodded at Nat. “I should be going. Have a good day, ma’am.”

  Cadence murmured goodbye, her body heavy and her lips numb. Perhaps the books’ delivery being stalled would not have bothered her so much had everything else in life been grand, but add that to what had already happened with Beau, and she now felt as if she were coming apart at the seams.

  “Feels like snow out there,” Nat trumpeted.

  “Yes,” Cadence sullenly answered.

  “I have a message for you.”

  She felt him warily studying her as he edged closer to the fire.

  “Oh?” Cadence eked out with what little strength she had left.

  “Gemma would like to visit you. Or have you come and visit her. Whichever you wish.”

  Cadence looked at the stove’s cooking logs and bit her lip. Returning to Winding Path Ranch at all was not an option. She hoped Gemma understood that.

  “I will see her at church on Sunday,” she slowly answered. “And we can make plans from there. Will you tell her that?”

  “Course.”

  “Thank you.” She looked quickly at Nat before turning her gaze back to the stove. “How… how is Beau?”

  Goodness, she could not believe she had asked that. Whatever was the matter with her? Hot shame flooded her cheeks and she fought the urge to fully turn away from Nat.

  A long pause commenced.

  “He’s, uh...” Nat cleared his throat. “Stubborn. Just like he always is.”

  “That does sound about right.” She lifted her chin. “Well. Never mind. How are you?”

  “Good.” He grinned, looking relieved to leave the talk of Beau behind. “Just came in to chop some wood for my ma and pa before the snow comes.”

  “That’s very sweet of you, Nat. They are so lucky to have you.”

  Before Cadence could stop it, a vision of herself in old age flashed through her head. She would be alone, sitting in a cold house, making her rocking chair endlessly creak. No children. No husband.

  She forced the thought away. There was no need to be so pessimistic.

  “Miss Hurley… Cadence...”

  He sounded so nervous. She silently nodded, giving Nat permission to go on.

  “Are you… doing all right? Really?”

  A heavy sigh lifted her chest. “I will be fine, Nat. What has happened with Beau is nothing I cannot weather. But I must confess, there is another matter that is bringing my morale down. I just received word that the schoolbooks we are waiting for will not be arriving today. Who knows when they will get here.”

  Nat’s nose wrinkled. “Shucks, I can take care of that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can go to Hudson, of course.”

  Cadence bit the inside of her cheek, considering. “No,” she finally answered. “That is not a good idea.”

  “Why not?” Nat nearly shrieked, sounding personally offended.

  “It does not seem wise. It could snow at any minute.”

  All day long, the excitement that came with the first snowfall of the year had been in the air. The children could not help but squirm in their seats and look up from their schoolwork every few minutes t
o see if flakes were cascading down yet. The fact that it was November and still snow-less only added to the thrill.

  As some of the children lived more than a mile away, Cadence already had plans to dismiss them early if a bad snowstorm rolled in.

  “I’ve lived here my whole life. I’m not afraid of a little snow,” Nat argued.

  “I am sure you are not, but it still does not seem the best idea.”

  “Who was that fellow who was just here? He’s not from Shallow Springs.”

  “No, he is from Hudson, and is on his way west to his cousin’s home.”

  “Well, see now, if he can make that trip, I can make it to Hudson and back before nightfall.”

  “In a wagon, Nat?” Cadence raised her brows.

  “In a wagon.” He confidently nodded.

  “Hm.” He was winning her over, that could not be denied.

  “I’ll take Mrs. Garrison with me. She was just saying how she wants to get out of town and go for a ride before the snow comes in.”

  Cadence almost chewed the side of her nail, but she remembered not to just in time. Squeezing her fingers into her palm, she looked out the window. The clouds had cleared up some, and a nice blue sky peeked through.

  “All right,” she answered. “If you are absolutely sure it is a safe idea.”

  “Completely.” Nat smiled.

  Relief accompanied by a quick hit of giddiness flooded Cadence’s heart. How quickly her fortune had turned around!

  “Thank you, Nat. You do not know how much this means to me.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” he answered, looking like he was trying to stop a smile.

  Cadence’s eyes drifted down and she noticed that the knuckles on Nat’s right hand were bruised. “What happened there?”

  “Oh. Nothing.” Nat pulled his jacket sleeve down over his hand. “Just got a little messed up roping a calf. They can be just as feisty in the fall as in the spring. Well, I should get going.”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  Cadence hustled to the door with him. “Thank you again.”

  Nat tipped his hat before leaving. Out of the corner of her eye, Cadence thought she saw a familiar figure. When she turned to look down Main Street, though, the man was gone.

  Her lips drew tightly against her teeth. Please do not be in town.

  The very last thing she wanted right then was an appearance by Beau. Nothing would cause her newest good feeling to dissipate like having to look into those indecipherable eyes.

  Shivering, Cadence returned to what was important and rang the bell, calling the children back in.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  28. Beau

  Chapter twenty-eight

  The first snowflake hit Beau’s cheek, right next to the spot where Nat had decked him. He pressed his gloved fingers against it, feeling it melt just as another one struck his lip.

  Turning his face up to the sky, he caught another on his eyelashes.

  The first snowfall. The beginning of another long, hard winter. The coldest months never got better. They had a way of dredging up the worst parts of him. Grief and loneliness were hard to keep at bay during that time.

  Beau already knew this would be one of the worst winters of his life, but there was nothing he could do about it. Leaving Stetson at the general store’s hitching post, he hauled his weary bones inside and did what he needed to do.

  Sugar. Coffee. The latest newspaper from back East. They were the necessary goods to keep Winding Path Ranch’s residents happy.

  With the short list of supplies in his arms, Beau stepped back outside—and into a white blur.

  In just the few minutes he’d been in the general store, the world had changed. Snow was coming down at a wild pace, coating the ground and making it difficult to even see across the street.

  Cursing under his breath, Beau lowered his head to the storm and led Stetson across the street and to the sheriff’s stable. With the horse secured behind four walls, Beau rushed out into the elements once again.

  If only he’d left fifteen minutes earlier, he would be almost home by now. But now, he knew better than to try for the ranch in a storm like this. If the snow kept building, soon, he wouldn’t be able to see his hand in front of his face.

  In that kind of situation, it was only too easy to stumble off the road and end up wandering around in the wilderness until he succumbed to the elements and died.

  With the snow beating into him from all sides, Beau burst through the hotel’s front door. He could sit in the restaurant and have some coffee until the worst of it passed. If it turned out to be an all-out blizzard, he could always stay the night in town.

  “Gracious me,” Mrs. Applebottom said from where she stood, shaking out her coat. “Did you ever see a storm like this?”

  “No, ma’am,” Beau answered, agreeing just to get out of the conversation. Stomping the snow off his boots, he passed through the hallway and into the restaurant.

  After one step, he froze, the cold that entered his heart ten times worse than the chill outside.

  At a table near the front windows, Cadence sat looking out the glass, her fingers pressed to her mouth. As if feeling his eyes on her, she turned. Their gazes connected immediately and her eyes popped.

  A second later, she turned away, giving her attention back to the maelstrom outside. Beau gulped, weighing his chances of going back out.

  It wasn’t worth it. The storm had picked up so much now, he ran the risk of getting lost trying to cross the street.

  A handful of other people had collected in the restaurant, but they all sat in their own groups, engrossed in private conversations. Beau couldn’t just go and sit by himself like he wanted to. Not with Cadence right there.

  Stiff-legged, he made his way over to her.

  “May I?” He cleared his throat, feeling stupid and worthless.

  “Yes,” she lightly said, turning her face in his direction, but keeping her eyes downcast.

  Every action he made—the pulling back of the chair, the lowering of his weight into it—seemed too heavy and loud. Settled across from Cadence, he stretched his legs out, then brought them back in, then looked all around the room. Tarnations, he needed to get out of there.

  Cadence still had barely moved, all of her focus on the storm.

  “I can… I can leave if you want me to,” Beau quietly said.

  She looked at him as if she felt sorry for him. “Into the storm?”

  “No… I can… go upstairs.”

  “Is this a blizzard, do you think?”

  Beau blinked. Was she deliberately evading the conversation?

  Not that it mattered. She had a right to do that if she wanted.

  “I, uh, I figure it is.”

  Cadence blinked fast and looked down at her clasped hands.

  Beau suddenly remembered that he still had her ring tucked away in his shirt’s breast pocket. At that very moment, he wore it.

  A heavy sigh filled the room and Mr. Garrison hobbled over. His last six months had been hard and it was apparent that his age was starting to catch up with him. Coming to Beau and Cadence’s table, he crossed his arms and worriedly looked out the window.

  The unease in the room doubled.

  “It’ll pass soon,” Beau found himself saying.

  Mr. Garrison frowned. “Why can’t you keep that cowboy of yours in line?”

  “Huh?”

  Was Mr. Garrison losing his mind along with his physical strength?

  “It’s my fault,” Cadence quickly said, her palm lightly slapping the top of the table. “Nat wouldn’t have gone if I explicitly told him not to.”

  Mr. Garrison’s head drooped, his chin falling against his chest. “I’m sorry. I overreacted. And it is no one’s fault, Cadence… Except maybe mine. I could have ordered Mrs. Garrison to stay home, but I did not.”

  Beau slowly put the pieces together. Now, it made sense that Cadence showed very little interest in his arrival. A much more pressing matte
r was at hand.

  “Where are they?”

  “Gone to Hudson,” Mr. Garrison explained. “The two of them left just a little over an hour ago in the wagon.”

  Beau’s breath hitched. An hour. The drive to Hudson took much longer than that.