River Lady Read online

  “You may stay,” Leah said and was rewarded with Kim’s arms about her neck.

  “Thank you so much, Leah. It’s so good to have a friend.”

  They spent the day together, Kim chattering constantly about her former life of dances and handsome young men while slowly doing the chores Leah gave her. She didn’t complain anymore about Leah’s “taking” Wesley from her, nor did she again mention her husband John.

  Surprisingly for Leah, Kim turned out to be good company. She was slow at doing things, but once she understood what was to be done she was willing enough, and in the afternoon they laughed a lot together while Leah washed Kim’s thick blonde hair.

  Toward evening when Kim had to leave there were tears in her eyes. “No other woman has ever been nice to me,” she cried softly. “They were all like Regan, so unkind, always mean to me.”

  Leah was silent, accepting the compliment but not trying to explain exactly why women disliked Kim so much. Perhaps it was the way she treated women, as if they didn’t or shouldn’t exist. “Please come again,” she said sincerely when Kim left. “I enjoyed myself.”

  At supper Wesley calmly announced that in the morning Leah, Bud, and Cal were going into Sweetbriar with him.

  Three faces suddenly showed fear.

  “It’s just a quiet little town,” Wes said with some disgust. “Nothing’s going to hurt you. Except for what Abe’s told people, no one knows what happened in the mountains. Neither Justin nor Oliver nor John has said a word so you’re all safe.”

  “What about the woman who Revis shot?” Leah asked quietly. “He told all those people who I was and where I lived. I’ve had one safe day here, but it won’t last if I go into town.”

  “That’s absurd, Leah!” Wes said explosively, then clenched his jaw. “And what about you two?”

  Bud looked at Cal. “We will stay here with Leah,” Cal said softly.

  “Damn all of you!” Wes shouted, jumping up and knocking over his chair. “I’ll not live with a bunch of cowards. You’re going with me in the morning even if I have to drag you.”

  No one laughed at the idea of Wes or any man trying to drag Bud or Cal someplace, but the three of them looked into their coffee cups and nodded.

  “That’s better,” Wes said. “I have to see to the cows.” He left the cabin, obviously still angry.

  “We did not like Revis,” Cal said, “but we liked staying away from people. People are afraid of us.”

  Leah didn’t want to think of all the things that could happen tomorrow. Wesley could cause trouble with this man who Revis had said was the Dancer—Devon Macalister; Bud and Cal could be laughed at and get their feelings hurt, and she…she didn’t want to think of that.

  Her head came up and she really looked at Bud and Cal. She was used to seeing them bare-chested, wearing sheepskin and leather, but perhaps if they wore shirts people wouldn’t be as likely to laugh at them.

  “Do you own any shirts?”

  “Shirts do not fit us,” Bud answered.

  “Of course,” Leah said, rising and looking at the kitchen yet to be cleaned. “If you’ll help me tonight, I’ll make both of you shirts. I think I can have them ready by tomorrow morning.”

  Slowly it began to seep into the young men what Leah planned to do, and their eyes started to shine.

  “Do you think you can wash dishes without breaking them?”

  Bud gave her an indignant look. “We have repaired robins’ broken legs; we can do your dishes.”

  Wesley returned to see Bud and Cal doing women’s chores and Leah cutting huge pieces from yards of heavy blue cotton. With a smile, because he knew something had happened, he asked if he could help.

  Leah didn’t get to bed until three in the morning. The shirts were done except for the buttonholes, but she figured the boys could wear them unsewn for one day. Tired, she crawled into bed beside Wesley and he sleepily pulled her to him.

  “All done?”

  Yawning, she nodded.

  “Next time you adopt somebody I hope they’re smaller than those two. I have to work three hours longer every day just to feed them. Couldn’t you adopt stray cats instead of stray people?”

  Leah wasn’t listening to him because she was already asleep.

  With a smile he pulled her closer and went back to sleep.

  For Leah, daylight came much too early. She was so nervous she cracked an egg directly into the fire, completely forgetting to use a skillet, and Bud and Cal, who’d come for breakfast, were so jittery they each ate only four pork chops, six eggs, half a loaf of bread, three fried apples, and a partridge. A pittance.

  “Hope neither of you faints from hunger today,” Wesley said as Leah cleared the table, but no one responded. Oliver, Cord, and Slade went to work while Wesley packed the wagon with food for the noon meal. He was determined to spend the whole day in Sweetbriar and show the three of them that things weren’t as bad as they thought.

  Leah and Wes sat on the wagon seat on the ride into town while Bud and Cal sat stiffly in the back, their eyes glum.

  Sweetbriar wasn’t very large; a few houses, a livery stable, a general store, a ladies’ clothing store, a blacksmith shop, a few more shops here and there. Nothing that looked especially frightening, but the eyes of the people milling about were all on the newcomers.

  “They’re watching us,” Leah whispered.

  “Of course they are,” Wes snapped. “They’ve never seen you before.”

  As they stepped down from the wagon a woman in her fifties came toward them and Leah drew back, but Wesley pushed her forward.

  “You must be Leah Stanford,” the woman said, smiling. “I’ve heard so much about you from Abe.”

  “Abe?” Leah said stupidly.

  “I’m Wilma Tucker and maybe you haven’t heard, but my daughter Caroline is engaged to your brother. We’re all going to be family. My son Jessie—he’s a senator now,” she said proudly, “he’s coming back for the wedding. Floyd and me are real proud of your brother and you don’t look a thing like him.”

  Leah began to smile and at the same time she started to relax. “I haven’t seen my brother for a while but Wesley told me about the wedding. May I introduce some friends of mine?”

  Bud and Cal were still sitting on the edge of the wagon. With a glare Leah motioned for them to rise.

  “My goodness,” Wilma said, looking up at them. “How nice and big you are.”

  “This is Bud and Cal…” Leah had no idea what their last names were, but as she looked at them they were smiling down at Wilma. Obviously they liked the woman because she wasn’t afraid of them.

  “Haran, ma’am,” Cal said softly.

  Wilma smiled. “Oh yes, you bought the land near Wesley’s. Abe was saying—. Oh, here’s my daughter now.”

  Leah was glad she was prepared for the sight of Caroline Tucker. Caroline seemed at least as wide as she was tall, with a pretty, freckled face. Perhaps she appeared outrageous, but Leah found herself liking Caroline right away.

  “You’re Leah,” Caroline said, holding out a fat little hand. “Abe said you were the prettiest woman in the world.”

  “Did he?” Leah was genuinely pleased.

  “I was supposed to meet him today, but I haven’t seen him anywhere.”

  With a jolt, Leah realized she was imagining Caroline and skinny, angular Abe in bed together. She really hoped Caroline didn’t get on top. Leah straightened herself. “I haven’t seen him since we arrived.”

  “I just saw him,” Wes said as he was looking over the leather harness. “He was going into that white house at the end of town.”

  “That’s where Lincoln Stark is living!” Caroline said angrily, stamping her surprisingly small foot. “Abe is gambling again. He promised he wouldn’t. Oh Ma!”

  Before Wilma could say a word of caution, Caroline was hurrying down the street toward the white house.

  Obviously Wilma was embarrassed. “Abe really did promise,” she said meekly. “And C