Someone who
she could share her life with. Have a family with.
Maybe that man is Noah Deardon.
A smile danced with the corners of her mouth at
the thought.
The pounding of the hammer on the porch ceased
and Kate held her breath.
Would he come in here to see her?
She still wore the same men’s work clothes she’d
had on yesterday and could only imagine the state of her unkempt hair. When the
hammering started again, she breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.
It didn’t take long for her to finish up the
hearty meal, followed by a fresh cup of milk to wash it all down. She wiped her
hand across her face to remove any evidence that she may have dripped a little
and set the tray to the side of the bed.
Her wardrobe sat only a few feet across the
room. Even if she had to make the jump on one foot, she was determined to
change her clothes. She may not be able to bathe in her current state, but at
least she could wash her face, put on a clean dress, brush her hair, and look
presentable.
Carefully, Kate removed the pillow from beneath
her feet and shifted so that her legs dangled off the side of the bed. She put
her good foot on the floor and reached for the wooden footboard for support.
There were several feet between her bed and the wardrobe and nothing in between
she could hold onto, so she stood up as tall as she could and hopped.
A couple of well-placed jumps landed her next
to the closet. She could feel her heart beating in her foot, throbbing against
her skin. She needed to get off of it, so she maneuvered herself into the chair
sitting just opposite the wardrobe and sat down.
Heavy footfalls sounded in the hallway and
stopped in front of her room.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Kate swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure what to
say. “Come in,” she squeaked, then cleared her throat.
The door opened and Levi stepped inside.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She tried to push away her disappointment, but then
Noah trailed in behind his cousin, a round, tin basin in his arms filled with
water sloshing about. Kate’s chest filled with sunshine at the sight of him and
she sat up a little taller.
“Nothing,” she finally answered with a simple shrug.
Fannie followed both men inside the room. Kate
guessed she was acting as a chaperone. It was highly indelicate for an
unmarried man to be in a woman’s chambers, let alone two of them, but under the
circumstances, she figured it could be overlooked. Just this once. Well, twice,
if she counted last night.
Kate folded her lips together to hide the grin
that threatened to spread across her face like a school girl with her first
affection for a boy. She reached up to smooth her hair.
Why hadn’t she asked Fannie for a brush when
the woman was in her room earlier?
The moment Noah’s eyes locked with hers, heat
filled Kate’s cheeks and the beat of her heart became a collection of rapid
flutters. He walked toward her and sat the small tub down at her feet.
“How are you feeling this morning, Miss
Callahan?”
Was it terribly improper that she wanted him to
call her by her given name?
Kate .
“I’d be doing better with full use of both
feet.” Her attempt at humor faded with a half-hearted giggle turned into a
whimper as he took her foot, lifted her leg over the edge of the washtub, and
into the water.
“Oooooooo,” she squealed. “That is freezing!”
She yanked her foot from the ice-like liquid and shook her head.
Noah and Levi both laughed heartily.
“The faster the swelling goes down, the faster
you’ll be back on your feet.”
Cold or not, she did not want to be constrained
to stay in her bedroom for any longer than necessary. She had a ranch to run, a
husband to choose, and a life to live. She plunged her foot back into the water
and shivered as the chill ran up her back and down her arms.
“What’s going on in here, then?” Mr. Thomas
appeared in her doorway. “Don’t we have a lot of work to get done today? I’d
like to see the ranch, if you’d
she could share her life with. Have a family with.
Maybe that man is Noah Deardon.
A smile danced with the corners of her mouth at
the thought.
The pounding of the hammer on the porch ceased
and Kate held her breath.
Would he come in here to see her?
She still wore the same men’s work clothes she’d
had on yesterday and could only imagine the state of her unkempt hair. When the
hammering started again, she breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.
It didn’t take long for her to finish up the
hearty meal, followed by a fresh cup of milk to wash it all down. She wiped her
hand across her face to remove any evidence that she may have dripped a little
and set the tray to the side of the bed.
Her wardrobe sat only a few feet across the
room. Even if she had to make the jump on one foot, she was determined to
change her clothes. She may not be able to bathe in her current state, but at
least she could wash her face, put on a clean dress, brush her hair, and look
presentable.
Carefully, Kate removed the pillow from beneath
her feet and shifted so that her legs dangled off the side of the bed. She put
her good foot on the floor and reached for the wooden footboard for support.
There were several feet between her bed and the wardrobe and nothing in between
she could hold onto, so she stood up as tall as she could and hopped.
A couple of well-placed jumps landed her next
to the closet. She could feel her heart beating in her foot, throbbing against
her skin. She needed to get off of it, so she maneuvered herself into the chair
sitting just opposite the wardrobe and sat down.
Heavy footfalls sounded in the hallway and
stopped in front of her room.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Kate swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure what to
say. “Come in,” she squeaked, then cleared her throat.
The door opened and Levi stepped inside.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She tried to push away her disappointment, but then
Noah trailed in behind his cousin, a round, tin basin in his arms filled with
water sloshing about. Kate’s chest filled with sunshine at the sight of him and
she sat up a little taller.
“Nothing,” she finally answered with a simple shrug.
Fannie followed both men inside the room. Kate
guessed she was acting as a chaperone. It was highly indelicate for an
unmarried man to be in a woman’s chambers, let alone two of them, but under the
circumstances, she figured it could be overlooked. Just this once. Well, twice,
if she counted last night.
Kate folded her lips together to hide the grin
that threatened to spread across her face like a school girl with her first
affection for a boy. She reached up to smooth her hair.
Why hadn’t she asked Fannie for a brush when
the woman was in her room earlier?
The moment Noah’s eyes locked with hers, heat
filled Kate’s cheeks and the beat of her heart became a collection of rapid
flutters. He walked toward her and sat the small tub down at her feet.
“How are you feeling this morning, Miss
Callahan?”
Was it terribly improper that she wanted him to
call her by her given name?
Kate .
“I’d be doing better with full use of both
feet.” Her attempt at humor faded with a half-hearted giggle turned into a
whimper as he took her foot, lifted her leg over the edge of the washtub, and
into the water.
“Oooooooo,” she squealed. “That is freezing!”
She yanked her foot from the ice-like liquid and shook her head.
Noah and Levi both laughed heartily.
“The faster the swelling goes down, the faster
you’ll be back on your feet.”
Cold or not, she did not want to be constrained
to stay in her bedroom for any longer than necessary. She had a ranch to run, a
husband to choose, and a life to live. She plunged her foot back into the water
and shivered as the chill ran up her back and down her arms.
“What’s going on in here, then?” Mr. Thomas
appeared in her doorway. “Don’t we have a lot of work to get done today? I’d
like to see the ranch, if you’d
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