Coming From California (The Pioneer Brides 0f Rattlesnake Ridge Book 2) Page 11

  Luke pulled down the kerchief shielding his mouth and nose from the dust to grin broadly at her in return and swung down off his big buckskin horse.

  “Yeah, yeah, I got him,” Jack said, leaning over to catch the reins Luke tossed to him. “Just remember you’re in public!”

  Not understanding what Jack meant, Daisy frowned as Luke mounted the schoolhouse steps, stopping one below the top so their eyes were level.

  When he got there, he removed his hat respectfully. “Afternoon, Miss Daisy,” he said formally. His blue eyes blazed with an emotion she couldn’t name.

  “You’re back, then,” she replied inanely, unable to explain the fluttering in her stomach. She swayed toward him instinctively and saw awareness dawn in his eyes.

  What? she wanted to ask. What is this feeling? Deep inside, some part of her knew. Had known since her very first day in Rattlesnake Ridge, but she wasn’t ready to acknowledge it yet.

  “I need to speak to you,” Luke said, moving back slightly, opening the distance between them. His expression turned serious. “In private.”

  “Now?”

  He glanced around, and she saw his gaze land on several passersby. “Later might be better. I’ll come a little early for dinner, if that’s all right?”

  “Sure,” Daisy agreed almost mindless with how close he was. He was dusty and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes looked deeper than usual, speaking to a wearying couple of days since she’d last seen him, but she still thought he was the most handsome man she knew.

  “I need to go wash up.” He didn’t move, however, and they just stared at each other.

  “I missed you,” Daisy whispered at last, unable to stand it. She had to tell him how she felt, even if she didn’t fully understand all of it yet.

  “Not half so much as I missed you, I’ll bet.”

  Warmth blossomed in her chest, and she reached out her hand instinctively. His fingers shot up to catch hers, twining together for the briefest of moments before he let go and backed away down the steps. Even that slight touch sent shivers through her. She could feel the heat of his hand long after he let go. She wanted to reach out and grab him, beg him not to leave, but somehow held herself back.

  “I’ll see you later, Miss Daisy.” His voice low and husky, he stared at her for a long moment before tilting his head respectfully and cramming his hat back on as he crossed the street to the stables.

  Her hand was grubby from touching his dusty one. She knew she needed to wash it before preparing dinner, but she still kept it cradled to her chest for a few precious moments, savoring the warmth which lingered from his touch.

  * * *

  Luke arrived at five thirty, half an hour before she’d told the others she’d have dinner ready. Knowing he’d be early however, she’d finished all the preparations and even changed from her everyday dress into a prettier green one she knew he hadn’t seen her wear yet. With her hair in a softer style than the severe bun she normally wore, braids looping around her head in a coronet instead, she thought she looked very fetching as she opened the door.

  The look in Luke’s eyes told her she was doing herself a disservice. He gazed at her in near-wonder before stepping over the threshold. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Daisy,” he breathed.

  “Thank you.” Shy with him now they were alone, she cast her eyes down and twisted her fingers together. “What did you need to talk to me about privately?”

  Luke sighed. “Not what I wish I could, unfortunately.”

  Her gaze flew to his face, and she spotted the tight lines of worry around his eyes. “Whatever can you mean?”

  “Jack and me, we weren’t going to see no cattle buyer in Reno.” He took a seat at the table at her gesture.

  Brow furrowed, Daisy sat down too. “Why were you there, then?”

  “We wanted to see an assayer. I don’t think I told you yet, but my father, he was a prospector. Left a whole passel of maps and notes behind, swore there was a big strike he was right on the verge of. This summer, Jack and me did some searching, and we found some interesting stuff.”

  “Oh!” Delight welled up inside her—pleasure for his good fortune. “But wait—you didn’t see the assayer here? That gray little man who works at the bank?” She’d seen the man at the bank when she went in to open an account and recognized him as the rude gentleman who’d ridden the stage in from Reno at the same time as her, even though he’d never introduced himself.

  “Mr. Blake,” Luke supplied the name. “To tell the truth, Jack and I have no liking for Mr. Garrett or anyone who works for him. The man’s a weasel. I wouldn’t trust Blake to be honest with our samples, which is why we went to Reno.”

  “But you ended up going to Virginia City?” Daisy asked. A thought occurred to her. “Thank you for sending the telegram, by the way. It was very thoughtful. I confess, I would have worried about you if you hadn’t shown up for dinner.”

  “That’s why I sent it. Didn’t want you to fret none.” He ducked his head, looking awkward for a moment before meeting her eyes again. She was sure she saw the faintest hint of a blush on his tanned face as he added, “Didn’t want to miss out on dinner with you neither.”

  They gazed at each other for a long, spellbound moment. Slowly, Daisy reached out her hand to him. Luke took it in his strong one—now scrubbed clean, she was pleased to note.

  “We had to go to Virginia City because the assayer in Reno dropped dead ‘bout two weeks ago. A young man, but supposedly his heart failed in his sleep.”

  “Sweet heavens above!” Daisy exclaimed, horrified. “That poor man!”

  “Indeed, but there ain’t no other assayer in Reno, so we decided to go on down to Virginia City. Figured there’d be at least one there what with the mines and all, and if not there, Silver City’s not much further. And then yesterday morning when we were standing in line at the assayer’s office in Virginia City, who do we spy but Mr. Blake riding out.”

  “What?” Daisy’s jaw dropped. “Yesterday morning?”

  “That’s right.”

  Startled, she thought back to be certain she had her days correct, but there could be no mistake. “Goodness me. He must have been on his way there when I saw him right after school let out on Monday, or else he would have been riding in the dark!”

  Luke stared at her. “You saw him after school on Monday?”

  “Yes, when Grant Watson was here. He was just leaving when I saw Mr. Blake riding by on a big black horse.”

  Luke blinked, diverted from his topic. “Why was Watson here on Monday?” A worried frown settled on his face.

  “He was here yesterday too, actually, and then again just a few minutes after I saw you arrive today.” Daisy wrinkled her nose. Watson’s subsequent visits had been even less welcome than his first. “He keeps stopping by to ask me to have dinner with him.”

  Strong fingers clenched around hers, and she shook her head gently at Luke’s furious expression. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of going to dinner with him ever. He doesn’t seem very good at understanding the word no, however.”

  “I’ll feed him his teeth if he don’t take your word for it!”

  She could tell he was angry on her behalf. Putting her other hand on top of their linked ones, she stroked his fingers gently. “It’s okay, Luke. I can take care of myself, you know.”

  He didn’t seem any less concerned. “I know you ain’t afraid to speak up for yourself, Daisy, Lord love you for it, but against a man Watson’s size, if he decided to get pushy...” Trailing off, Luke shook his head. “I don’t like to think of it.”

  “Then don’t. He’d learn I didn’t grow up in the gold camps for nothing, Luke. I know how to handle a man who gets above himself.”

  His lips quirked at that. “I’ll just bet you do. Still… promise me you’ll be careful?”

  “I promise. Now you’d better tell me the rest of it before the others get here. You didn’t just come by to tell me you saw Mr. Blake in Virginia City o
n Tuesday morning.”

  “No, indeed.” Luke sighed, scrubbing at his face with his free hand, and resumed his story.

  When he got to the part about the rats, Daisy let go of his hands and stood up to pace. “They died? All of them?”

  “All of them,” Luke confirmed. “The doctor wasn’t able to positively identify what was in the whiskey, but given the symptoms and the fact there was no odor he suspected potassium cyanide.”

  “Cyanide!” Daisy gasped, horrified. “Oh, my goodness.” She thought back, remembering a book her father had owned all about poisons. “That can cause death… oh. Oh. The man in Reno!”

  “When we were in Reno, the man who told us the assayer there died also said the sheriff suspected poison. So when we saw Blake riding away from Mr. Murray’s and saw the whiskey bottle on his desk, I jumped to conclusions, but it looks like I was right. I went straight to Sheriff McCullough after I saw you today, told him everything we found out, and suggested he send a telegram to Reno.”

  Daisy was counting days on her fingers. “When exactly did you say the man in Reno died?”

  “The stable master said ten days ago, but that was from Monday, so it’d be twelve days now. Why?”

  “Twelve days ago is the day I arrived in Rattlesnake Ridge… and do you know who was on that stage out of Reno with me?” She met Luke’s eyes. “Mr. Blake.”

  “No.” Luke looked shocked. “Dear Lord. I should tell the sheriff…” He started to rise to his feet.

  “There’s nothing you can do about it tonight.” Moving to stand right in front of him, she locked her hands against his arm, keeping him from heading for the door. “We should check the dates anyway; the stable master could have gotten it wrong.”

  “Yes,” Luke agreed, but he didn’t sit down again. He stared at Daisy, his eyes darkening as they gazed at each other.

  Daisy found her breath coming faster, the butterflies in her stomach swooping more violently. “Luke,” she whispered, unable to look away.

  His hands reached out to encircle her waist. “You should prob’ly push me away,” he said, his voice low and gruff. “Or scream, or… something.”

  “Should I?” Unaccountably, her voice came out as the thinnest of whispers. “Why’s that?”

  “Because otherwise I’m gonna kiss you.”

  “Oh.”

  She’d never been kissed before. Not entirely sure what she should do, she leaned forward slightly as Luke waited for her to push him away.

  He smiled after waiting a long moment and murmured, “Good,” before lowering his face to hers.

  Daisy’s eyelids lowered instinctively as he came closer. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips. Then his mouth slanted oh-so-gently over hers, and he kissed her, soft and feather-light.

  Heaven help me, it’s not enough. I want more. She’d seen men and women kiss before. While she’d always discreetly averted her eyes, she knew kissing went far beyond the delicate brush of lips. So as Luke lifted his head, she hooked one hand behind his neck and pulled him back down, letting her lips part as their mouths met again.

  Luke made a low sound in his chest, a sort of groan, and then his hands tightened on her waist. He pulled her close against his strong body as he kissed her again, properly this time.

  Daisy gasped as Luke’s tongue flickered over her lips, tempting her to taste him in return. Her knees went weak, and she sagged against him. Heaven knew where they might have stopped if a firm knock at the door hadn’t made them leap apart guiltily.

  “Oh, my goodness.” Certain her cheeks were on fire, Daisy pressed her hands against them. She was right; they were burning with heat.

  “Yup.” Luke scrubbed his hand through his hair, his own face red. “Uh huh. Guess that’ll be Jack and Barb.”

  “You let them in. I’ll check on dinner.” That would give her a few moments to compose herself—and also provide a ready excuse for her flushed cheeks if she was standing at the hot stove.

  Barb’s knowing glance told Daisy she wasn’t fooling her friend for a moment. Did Barb peek through the window and see Luke kissing me? I’ll just die if she did!

  On the other hand, Barb was a widow. Which meant she’d been married. Maybe she’d be able to tell Daisy whether the strange, fluttery feelings she felt around Luke—the way she missed him when he wasn’t around—were what she was beginning to suspect.

  More than beginning, if she was entirely honest with herself. Especially after that kiss.

  “Smells good!” Ishmael sniffed the air eagerly.

  Daisy ruffled his dark hair gently. “Will you help me set the table? The knives and forks are in that drawer. You and Isabelle might want spoons, too.”

  “Spoons? What are we having?” He hurried to obey her, carefully placing the cutlery on the table. She’d dragged another one in from the schoolhouse along with two extra chairs for the children.

  “A very special dish my mother taught me how to cook. She was born far away in China, and she learned it from her mother there.” Daisy pulled the dish from the oven, carrying it over to set it carefully on a small quilted mat she’d placed in the middle of the table. “It’s called honey and ginger chicken, and we’re going to eat it with rice.”

  “I like rice. Matthew cooks with it sometimes. He makes… what’s it called, Mommy? That spicy stew?”

  “Hoppin’ John, I think you mean,” Barb said. “I don’t think food from China is spicy like that.”

  “Different kinds of spices, but some Chinese food is hot,” Daisy disagreed, placing a big bowl of rice on the table. “Not this dish, though. Here… scoop some rice onto your plate, and then I’ll put chicken on top,” she encouraged the twins, who eyed the unfamiliar dish warily. Hunger soon won out, however. After the first taste they both seemed enthused enough, so Daisy stopped worrying about them.

  She was more concerned about whether Luke would like this, her favorite of the few dishes she’d learned from her mother. He breathed in the fragrant steam, took a piece of chicken on his fork, and bit down. His eyes widened, and he quickly picked up some more for another bite.

  “This is delicious!” Jack exclaimed, a broad smile on his face. “Ain’t it, Barb?”

  “Sure is.” Barb took another bite. “I’d love to learn how to cook it.”

  “You can come by any afternoon and we’ll cook together,” Daisy suggested.

  “I need to get back into practice,” Barbara agreed. “I think I’ve almost forgotten how to cook after living in the boarding house so long. When we… if… I mean…” She glanced at Jack and silenced herself by taking another hasty mouthful.

  Daisy felt her eyebrows go up. As far as she knew, Barb and Jack didn’t have an understanding—or they hadn’t just a few days ago.

  Luke had never gotten around to telling her the results of the assay on his samples. Maybe he and Jack had actually found something, something of enough value Jack would feel secure revealing his heart to Barb. Certainly, the two of them were looking at each other in a whole new way.

  “Please, Miss Daisy,” Isabelle asked, interrupting her thoughts, “is there any more? This is so good.”

  “Of course, there is.” Daisy heaped more on Isabelle’s plate and Ishmael’s as he held his out eagerly. “I know how much you both can eat when you’re hungry, and I know these two cowboys will eat anything you can’t manage.”

  “Sure will,” Luke agreed. “It’s wonderful.”

  Daisy hadn’t even realized how much she’d wanted Luke’s verbal approval of her cooking. Clasping her hands together in her lap, she squeezed her fingers tightly, trying to keep from bursting out into song or some other display of excessive emotion. She knew her face had turned red; she hoped no one noticed her reaction. Especially Luke.

  It didn’t seem likely. He was busy biting down upon another piece of chicken, closing his eyes with bliss as he savored the taste. For a moment, she could almost believe they were alone, that this was an everyday thing for them—her putting
a meal on the table for Luke after he came in from a hard day’s work and the pair of them enjoying it together.

  She almost forgot to eat herself until Isabelle innocently asked if she wasn’t hungry. Meeting Barb’s laughing eyes across the table, Daisy blushed red yet again and hastily shoved a forkful of food into her mouth.

  I’m making a fool of myself over this cowboy.

  Somehow, when Luke smiled at her, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

  Chapter 14

  Luke loved the way Daisy blushed as he praised her cooking, ducking her head to hide the red tinge rising up her cheeks. Her dark eyes flicked sideways at him as if shyly checking he meant his words.

  Truth was, he’d have claimed the dinner was delicious even if it had been burned to a crisp just because Daisy had cooked it. But he didn’t need to lie; the delicious flavors of the honey and ginger made the tender chicken almost melt on his tongue. He’d never tasted anything quite like it, and he wondered immediately whether Daisy had learned any more recipes from her mother which were as good as this one.

  Still, despite the exquisiteness of dinner, he wanted to return to the sweetness of her lips. But it was probably for the best they’d been interrupted. Her sweetly innocent response to his kiss had made him forget himself, and he wouldn’t disrespect Daisy for anything. Kissing was enough until after they walked down the aisle…and he was definitely getting ahead of himself with that thought.

  “Are you going back to the Shooting Star tomorrow?” Daisy asked as they finished the meal.

  Luke realized with a guilty pang he hadn’t finished explaining how she might be getting a letter from the doctor in Virginia City or even told her the results of the assay. “No.” He was pretty sure Jack had already talked to Barb about the galena, considering how close the two of them were sitting. Jack might even be holding Barb’s hand under the cover of the table, not that Luke planned to check. “We’ve got business which will keep us in town through the weekend, at least.”