Kisses With KC (Cowboys and Angels Book 11)(22)

Ellis read the letter from their parents aloud.

“Dear Children,

“Your Uncle Morris has been very sick. His strength is starting to return except in his legs. He won’t be able to farm anymore and has decided to move his family to Creede. I guess we’re going to add six more Turleys to the city.”

Ellis paused and gazed into Dorothy’s eyes. Eliza knew they were adding one more to that count. Then she started reading again.

“The livestock have been sold, as well as some of the farming equipment and household possessions. We expect to return in a couple of weeks. We miss you all so much. Michael and the girls are excited to see you again and renew your friendship.

“Love you,

“Ma and Pa.”

Kailin had tears in her eyes and wiped them away. Eliza did the same. When she looked up, she saw intensity in KC’s expression. She wished she could stand in his arms and lay her head on his shoulder and borrow his strength to get through the coming days. It had been hard, but soon her parents would be home.

Ellis and Dorothy stood, and Ellis’s arm wrapped around her waist. “We have news to share tonight.”

This is it. Saying it aloud will make it final—real.

Ellis wasn’t looking at Eliza this time but only at Dorothy’s face. There was a little snip of separation in Eliza’s heart.

“Dorothy has agreed to marry me.” He finished the next part looking directly at Dorothy’s father. “Which we’ll do as soon as my home is built on the homestead.”

Eliza had no doubt that it wouldn’t take long to build with that kind of motivation.

Then the hugging started. When it finished, the Moore family left. Kailin carried Rayna upstairs to go to bed. Eliza, Ellis, and KC took up different tasks. KC laid out the cloths and supplies he needed to clean his guns.

Eliza pulled out one of Kailin’s dresses and began to pick out the side seams. She would move the hem down too. The girl had outgrown it. This was the last time she’d be able to do this. Kailin would need new dresses within the year, and they wouldn’t be little girl dresses anymore, either.

The task didn’t require much thinking leaving her to muse about anything that came up. Maybe it was the trip to Salida and securing her homestead, or it might have been the engagement between Ellis and Dorothy, but Eliza could think of nothing else but her future. Well, and KC. She kept imagining those ideas twined together.

“Is there any cake left?” Ellis asked as he stood. Eliza nodded. “You want some, either of you?”

Eliza shook her head, and KC said, “None for me.”

When Ellis left the room, Eliza felt questions burning in her chest. She had to ask KC about his homestead. “What do you plan to do with that property now that you’re a landowner?”

KC kept his head down for a couple of seconds, working intently on his gun as the cleaning wad peeked out of the cylinder housing. “Well…” He pulled the rod out of the barrel and set it to the side. “I intend to raise my family on it.”

His eyes connected with Eliza’s, and the flat expression on his face slowly softened, and his lips curved upward, disarming her with his smile. She suddenly understood, and all the doubt and shadows left her heart.

“Good cake, Eliza.” Ellis came walking through the doorway from the kitchen, carrying a plate with two pieces of cake.

Eliza startled and looked quickly away as KC did the same, going back to cleaning his gun. She trained her eyes on her sewing. Where was her needle? She fumbled around until she found it.

“What? What did I miss?” he asked.

She noticed KC kept looking at Ellis as the other man swung his head between the two of them. Neither of them answered. She didn’t know what to say, and wouldn’t speakeven if she did.





9





KC Murray



Eleven little piglets scampered away as their mama rolled to stand. KC spread her food in the trough and leaned against the pen as she waddled forward. He laced his fingers together and laid them on top of the railing to prop himself up. What was he doing with his future? He shook his head slowly back and forth. He seemed to be on a course that was writing itself as he went.

He hadn’t come to Creede on assignment—at least not the usual kind. Then he got here, and in a month, he’d turned his whole life upside down. He couldn’t think that was a bad thing though. If he hadn’t come, he wouldn’t have met Eliza. She made him want a different life. He’d never before felt the happiness he did when she was near him.

He’d gone to the Salida Land Office to gather any clues that might be there and ended up making a commitment to live in Colorado. He’d expected to be sadder about it since he was giving up being an agent with the Pinkertons, but he just couldn’t feel anything less than anticipation. The angel had been adamant that he choose that specific piece of land—that it was a key to solving the case. He was glad to see that it abutted Eliza’s. He immediately started thinking about how to make the two properties work together. His was more suitable for animals and hers for farming.

KC pushed away from the fence. He needed to get this land extortion mess behind them, so they could start their life together. He had enough now for motive. He needed to visit with Marshal Wheeler.

Ellis met him at the back door as they returned to the house for a midday meal. “I’d like to take a look around the new properties. I’m betting Eliza will want to as well. What do you say we get up early tomorrow, get our chores done, and ride out to them?”