A Kiss for Cade Read online

  Cade picked up a rock and threw it. Addy again. He was at a loss to explain why she’d filled their heads with empty dreams.

  Brody smacked his hand against a tombstone. “You ain’t got no good in you. You came back just to hurt everyone again.”

  “I think it’s time we had a talk.” Cade motioned for the boys to sit down. “You’re both old enough to know the truth.”

  “I don’t want to know any ol’ truth,” Brody said.

  “That’s too bad, because you’re going to hear it. Sit down.”

  Brody kicked the dirt a couple more times before he dragged himself over to where Will sat. Cade pointed to a spot beside Will. Brody plopped down, propping his chin on his hands.

  Sorting his thoughts, Cade took a moment. “First of all, being a bounty hunter is not what you want to do.”

  “You’re one,” Brody said.

  “And if I had it to do over again, I’d have made a wiser choice.”

  “Like what?” Will peered up at him.

  “Like farming or running a livery—or a thousand and one other jobs that would be a better way to make a living.”

  He sat down between them, putting his arms around their shoulders. “I’d like to be your pa. I just can’t.”

  “Why not?” Will asked. “Don’t no one tell you what to do. I hear you tell Zoe that all the time.”

  “This is different.”

  “Uncle Pa.” Will’s eyes pinned him. “If you didn’t have to chase that bad guy, would you stay here and be our pa?”

  “I would, Will. I’d like that.”

  “Then stay.”

  “There’s this man…his name is Hart McGill. He’s looking for me.”

  Will leaned into Cade’s embrace. “You can hide under Zoe’s bed. That’s where I hide from Holly when—”

  “You don’t understand, son. McGill is one of the bad guys. He wants to kill me.” Cade wasn’t sure if the boys understood. “I can’t put you and your sisters and Zoe in danger. I have to go far away from Winterborn so McGill will never know about my family.”

  Will squirmed. “He might shoot you dead?”

  Cade nodded. “That’s what he’d like to do.”

  Brody leaned back on his elbows. “I could shoot him dead, I’ll betcha.”

  “Yeah,” Will seconded. “Brody says he’s gonna learn how to shoot.”

  Cade shook his head. “Guns aren’t the answer, boys. A man doesn’t learn to shoot so he can kill another person. He respects a gun and the harm it can do. You shoot a shotgun so you can hunt rabbits. You fire a rifle to kill deer to put meat on the table. The only time you shoot another person is to protect those you love or good people trying to live by the law.”

  “Is that why you like shootin’ bad guys?” Will asked. “To protect people?”

  Cade ruffled the boy’s hair. “I don’t like shooting anyone, but I wouldn’t stand by and let an outlaw run roughshod over innocent people. That’s why I hunt the bad guy and turn him over to the law.”

  “Or shoot him,” Brody reminded.

  “Occasionally I shoot, but not unless he forces me to.”

  Brody stood and walked around the gravesite. “If you showed me how to shoot a pistol, I could scare McGill so bad he’d run away and never come back.”

  Cade laughed. “I guess you could, but you’re not going to.”

  “I could try!”

  Will threw his arms around Cade’s neck and hung on for dear life. “I don’t want you to be dead. Please, Uncle Pa, don’t let that bad guy shoot you. Brody and I will help you put him in jail.”

  Cade stood, lifting Will with him. The boy wrapped his legs around Cade’s waist and held on tight as Cade extended his hand to Brody. “Come on. We’ll do a little target-shooting before I leave.” He should be riding out right now, but when he looked at their faces, he knew he couldn’t go, not yet.

  He drew a steadying breath, cupping the back of Brody’s head with his hand and pulled him tightly against him. “Brody, you’re the man now. When I leave, I want to know I can count on you to see to the household. Keep Zoe and your brother and sisters safe.”

  Brody solemnly nodded. “You teach me to shoot a gun, and I’ll protect ’em.”

  “That means you won’t be able to leave to be a bounty hunter.”

  Brody stuck his chest out. “No, sir. I’ll take real good care of your family, Uncle Pa.”

  Will yanked on Cade’s sleeve. “Does that mean he’s my boss now?”

  “Red’s the boss, but Brody’s your big brother. He’ll watch your back. That right, Brody?”

  “You mean if somebody at school wants to beat up Will, I can sock ’em in the nose?”

  Cade chuckled. “I’d try talking it out first.” He paused, and then conceded, “but if reason fails, sock them in the nose.”

  The three males walked back to town in silence, except for an occasional sniff from Will to staunch his runny nose. Cade offered his handkerchief again. This time, Will took it. After using it, the boy handed it back, and then he fell into step with Cade, trying to match his stride. Cade smiled, realizing there had never been anyone who’d wanted to be like him. He’d have to be blind not to see how the boys looked up to him. He walked beside their short bodies, watching them kick dirt. He’d like to be around to see them grow to manhood. And the girls, he’d give an eyetooth to be there when suitors came courting, to make sure they were worthy of such treasure.

  He shook away the thought. For someone who knew nothing about kids, he was taking his role as Uncle Pa awfully seriously.

  “Hey, Ben!” he called as they approached the livery.

  The blacksmith glanced up from his anvil. “Hey!”

  “Me and the boys are going to do a little target-shooting behind the building.”

  Later the three turned to see Pop, on his crutches, round the corner of the livery. Will ran to meet him. “Uncle Pa showed me and Brody how to shoot! I shot a bottle a hunnert miles in the air!”

  Pop let out a belly laugh. “A hunnert miles? That’s a long way, boy. How’d you do that?”

  Will shaped his hand in the form of a gun, his finger pointing toward a bale of hay. “Ka-pow! Ka-pow!”

  “That’d do it,” Pop said, then raised his eyebrows to Cade. “Thought you were gone.”

  “I am. I had this one last thing to do for the boys.”

  Pop looked at the youngsters. “How’d you do, Brody? Your bottle go two hunnert miles?”

  Brody beamed. “Almost. Look how many times I shot.” He proudly displayed the redness on his right hand, which was beginning to swell. “We can have rabbit a lot this winter.”

  They turned as a carriage pulled up beside the livery. Cade hurriedly reloaded the Colt, relieved when he saw who climbed out of the buggy.

  “Abraham!” Will squealed. “I shooted a bottle!”

  A big smile split the old man’s face “A bottle? Now ain’t that somethin’.”

  Brody ran to meet him. “I shot a bunch of ’em.”

  “I see a bottle ain’t safe in this town no mo’.”

  Pop hopped over to the buggy. “What’re you doin’ back in town?”

  Abraham wrapped the reins around the brake and got down. “Miz Laticia wanted me to bring this here big box o’ clothes for the young’uns. Said no kin o’ hers was goin’ round lookin’ like ragamuffins.”

  “Sounds like Laticia,” Pop said, his gaze running over the big wooden box. “She musta bought out half a store. This crate’s big enough to bury one of Mallard’s bulls in. Sturdy as they come.”

  “She sure ’nuff bought out half the mercantile,” Abraham said, “jist afore she come down sick as a dog. Now she’s got them red spots.”

  Cade slipped the Colt back into his holster. “Laticia has the measles?”

  Abraham grinned. “Doctor says she be laid up a few days, then she be her ol’ sef agin.”

  Pop slapped the black man on the back. “And you thought you’d get outta town before she
’s her old self again.”

  Grinning, Abraham shook his head. “Now, Sheriff. I ain’t sayin’ nuthin’ bad ’bout Miz Laticia.”

  “You never do, Abraham,” Pop agreed. “She’s a lucky woman to have you to look after her.”

  “No’sa. I’s the lucky one. Owes a lot to Miz Laticia. Taught me how ta read ’n’ write when she jist a young girl. Back then, wern’t looked on too favorable for a black man ta read.” He let out a hearty laugh. “Miz Laticia paid no mind ta what others said. Said she wern’t gonna have some ignernt soul drivin’ her round. So ever’day she drummed them numbers and letters inta my head ’til I learned ’em.”

  Cade glanced at the boys. “Help Abraham get the box of clothes unloaded, and make sure you send a proper thank-you to Aunt Laticia.”

  The boys jumped up into the buggy, pulled open the box, and rifled through the contents. Brody wrinkled his nose when he held up a boy’s blue velvet coat. “Sissy clothes.”

  Will pulled out a pair of shoes his size with silver buckles. His cheeks puffed, holding them up for Cade’s inspection. “Do I have ta?”

  “Miz Laticia don’t know much ’bout what young’uns likes ta wear,” Abraham apologized.

  “The clothes are much appreciated,” Cade said. “Zoe can alter whatever needs to be fixed. She’s handy with a needle and thread.”

  “You ain’t goin’ to try to haul that box, are ya?” Pop asked, glancing at Cade.

  “Not me. The three of us can’t move that crate. We’ll have to empty it and carry the clothes to the store. Abraham can keep the box.”

  “Don’t know what’d I’d do with such a big ol’ box.” Abraham scratched his head.

  Pop smacked a crutch across the top of the container. “We’ll keep it. Someone might have need of it.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Grim faces confronted Zoe when the Kolby family sat down for a last breakfast together. Feeling plenty glum herself, she avoided Cade’s gaze as she took a pan of biscuits from the oven. The scent of rain hung in the air as Missy dished up fried potatoes and Holly poured Cade’s coffee. Thunder rolled in the distance.

  Cade glanced at Missy and Holly and smiled. “Thank you, girls.”

  Despite the girls’ red eyes and the slight quiver in their chins, Zoe thought they had accepted Cade’s decision to leave.

  Latching onto Missy’s skirt, he tugged playfully. “Cat got your tongue this morning?”

  Zoe shook her head warningly when Missy started to tear up.

  He quickly changed the subject. “Sounds like rain’s moving in.”

  “We can always use rain,” Zoe said, taking her seat at the table. She reached for Holly’s hand, and the family formed a circle. “Brody, will you bless the food, please?” She bowed her head as Brody said grace. When the amen was pronounced, she forced her mind to go blank. If she allowed herself to think, she would start crying, and that’s the last thing Cade needed.

  He picked up a knife and buttered a biscuit for Missy, and then he glanced at Brody. “Haven’t you got something you want to tell Zoe?”

  “Cade taught me how to shoot a pistol!”

  “Me too,” Will said.

  Zoe picked up a bowl of gravy and started it around.

  Cade smiled, his glance bouncing back and forth between her and the boys.

  “Is that so?” she responded.

  He reached under the table and gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze. “A boy needs to know these things. Doesn’t mean he’ll be a bounty hunter.”

  Her lips drew into a tight smile. “I suppose that spending your last hours with the children taking a nice walk would have been much too ordinary.”

  “That’s how we saw it, wasn’t it, men?”

  The boys nodded, stuffing scrambled eggs into their mouths. “It was okay,” Will said. “I hit a bottle a hunnert miles in the air!”

  “I hit mine two hunnert,” Brody said.

  Cade took a bite, winking at Holly. “I thought the girls could help me tie my bedroll to the back of Maddy’s saddle. What do you say, Holly? Would you do that?”

  Holly nodded halfheartedly.

  Zoe passed the butter. “Eat your breakfast, Missy.”

  “I’m not hungwy.”

  “Of course you’re hungry.” Cade lifted her fork and tempted her with a bite of eggs. “Come on, sweetheart, it’s good.”

  Shaking her head, the little girl looked at Zoe, her eyes brimming with tears.

  “It’s all right if you want to leave the table. I’ll keep your food warm in the oven.”

  Missy got up and ran into the bedroom. The family ate in silence except for the occasional ping of a fork scraping a plate, a noisy swallow of milk, or the clunk of a glass being set down.

  Zoe choked down her food as the clock chimed eight, sounding like a dirge.

  When somebody banged on the back screen door, she jumped as if she’d been shot. Relieved, she noted it was one of Brody’s playmates. “Brody is eating his breakfast, Freddy. You’ll have to come back later.”

  “Pop said come and get Cade quick,” the ten-year-old blurted out.

  “Cade is eating—”

  “Hart McGill just rode in town.” Freddy Henderson jumped on one foot, then the other. “Pop said Cade’s got to come right now.”

  The mouthful Zoe just swallowed soured in her stomach. “No,” she whispered.

  Brody scraped his chair back from the table, tipping over his glass of milk.

  Zoe’s heart pounded so loudly she was sure Cade could hear it. Nausea coursed through her in violent waves. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

  Cade slowly laid his fork aside and got up.

  Her hand came out to stop him. “No…” The plea was a pitiful cry, that of a wounded animal in need of help.

  He squeezed her hand before reaching for his gun belt and fastening it around his hips. Tying the leather strap to his right thigh, he faced Brody. “You remember what we talked about this morning?”

  Brody nodded, his face as white as the stream of milk running off the table.

  “You take the others and keep them in the bedroom until someone tells you to come out.”

  Brody’s eyes widened.

  “It’s all right, son. You’re the man of the house now.”

  “You gotta mind me, Will.” Brody herded Will, Holly, and Zoe toward the bedroom. Zoe turned and looked at Cade, praying this was a nightmare and she would wake up soon.

  “Go on,” he said. “The kids need you.”

  “I can’t let you leave, not like this…” She felt light-headed, powerless. The room spun, and she lifted her hand to her forehead, trying to orient herself. She couldn’t fall to pieces now. She must put the children’s needs above hers. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath. “All right…all right. The children will be fine…I’ll be fine. Do what you have to do.” The words tasted bitter in her throat.

  Cade pushed back and came to her, his firm shoulder supporting her. His familiar scent filled her senses, and she reeled with fear.

  “Listen to me, Red.” He gripped her arm. “If anything happens to me, you and the kids leave Winterborn. Do you understand what I’m saying? McGill will come after you.”

  She nodded, swallowing. “Yes…I’ll leave with the children, but I have no place to go…”

  “Pop will help you.”

  Cade moved her toward the bedroom where she could hear Missy’s hysterical crying. She had to calm the child. Please, God, give me the strength to do this for Cade. She patted Cade’s hand. “I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine…I just need a minute.” Her knees buckled, and she fell against him for one blissful moment. Her arms wound around his neck, and she buried her face in his shoulder, and then she kissed his cheeks, his eyes, anywhere she could blindly touch. He matched her kisses, nearly crushing her in his hold.

  “My prayers go with you,” she whispered, knowing the need in her voice for him to run, and not look back, belied her outward calm.

&n
bsp; “Listen to me, Red.” His expression was so tender it nearly took her breath away. “Because of you and the children, I didn’t leave. I couldn’t. Now my past has caught up with me. McGill is here. I can’t run anymore.” He wiped a tear from her cheek. “Can you understand?”

  “Oh, Cade, I couldn’t bear it if….”

  “Shhh.” He laid his fingertips across her lips.

  “Do you remember why I gave you the name Red?”

  “Because of my hair.” She touched his whisker-roughened cheek, needing to absorb his every essence.

  “That’s what I told you, but it was because you had the temper and strength of a man, and I admired that.” He smiled. “Find that strength, sweetheart. Be the woman I know you are. Be brave for the children.”

  She started to laugh and didn’t know why. “It wasn’t my hair?” Her laughter turned to quiet sobs, wracking her body as he kissed her before he turned to leave.

  “Go into the bedroom, Red.”

  Quickly, she released the clasp on her locket and put the chain around his neck. “I want a part of me to be with you out there.”

  He pulled her to him again and kissed her so hard she could barely breathe. Then he left.

  Brody emerged from the bedroom and took her gently by the hand. “It’s all right, Zoe. I’ll take care of you.”

  The boy led her into the bedroom. Outside the window, the faint sounds of men’s shouts came to her. It sounded as if Main Street were being cleared of horses and buggies. Lifting her head, she heard the children crying, their young voices full of fear. She took a handkerchief and wiped Will’s runny nose as she heard another yell. Her heart raced.

  Gathering the children to her, she searched for words to allay their fear. The apprehension in their eyes made her want to cry harder, but instead she dried her eyes. “Shall we say a prayer for Uncle Pa?”

  They nodded.

  “Dear God…” The words ceased, and Zoe broke down. Holly picked up the thread.

  “Dear God. We are scared for Uncle Pa. We love him a lot. The preacher says that you love us so we know what love feels like. Please keep Uncle Pa safe. Amen.”