Love on the Range (Brothers in Arms #3)(10)

Teaching was what she wanted though.

Before she headed for town, she’d see how the noon meal went.

It wasn’t something she was proud of, it made her feel some shame in fact, but she wanted to be thanked for the food. Helped with the food. Appreciated for the clean house, the made-up beds. The scrubbed pots and pans. The laundry and mending. She wasn’t sure quite how she’d ended up running this house alone.

All she knew was it hurt her.

Especially Kevin marrying Win, which was an absolutely normal thing for an adult man to do. But he hadn’t talked to her before the wedding. They’d always been such partners, and now he had a new one.

He’d moved into the life of a completely reasonable adult.

She had to do it, too. Not just hang around here feeling pitiful.

And furious.

Both feelings, she was sure, were sins. And sins she was committing with great regularity. It had to end, and she’d end it by getting on with living.

She turned to her cooking. She’d make the noon meal the best they’d ever had. She was a better cook than Win and a far better cook than Cheyenne. Kevin was probably the second-best cook around here, Andy third. The rest of them were nothing to boast about. Although she had to admit that Falcon might do wonders with a possum.

An unworthy part of herself wanted them to miss her.

She’d fry chicken because she had a knack for that, and she knew just the chickens she’d use. A few young roosters were still about from the spring hatching.

Her chicken gravy was delicious, and her mashed potatoes smooth and fluffy.

Gleefully, she decided to make up a delicious custard with an unusual crunchy caramel topping that always left Andy and Kevin groaning with full bellies and pure bliss.

She hadn’t made it since she’d come here.

Surely, they’d say thank you. Maybe they’d even show some kind of true appreciation for her. Maybe they’d even be so kind she’d settle down and decide to stay.

She thought of the way Wyatt had run off once he was free of the sling. Not even a backward glance.

When they all abandoned her again, she’d take her satchel and all her worldly goods and ride to town to find work. Maybe, if she was in a good mood, she’d leave them a note.





Five




Where’s supper?” Wyatt came in dragging after his first day back in the saddle. He’d taken it easy. He sure hadn’t busted any broncs or thrown any cattle. But he’d ridden long hours and thrown in with his cowhands to herd cattle from one stretch of pasture to another.

He’d handed his horse’s reins to Jesse, one of their younger cowhands, and come straight in from the chilly night. The sun was setting early, and the wind had a mean bite to it. His shoulder ached like a wolf had sunk fangs into it.

And he was starving.

“Molly’s gone.” Kevin slapped the note hard against Wyatt’s chest. “I’m riding to town to find her and bring her back. Falcon’s out saddling the horses. I stayed behind when I saw you coming. What did you do to her?”

Wyatt noticed Kevin’s fist balled up tight and braced himself to take a punch to the jaw. “I didn’t do anything to her. What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything.” But Kevin’s fist relaxed and worry clouded his eyes. Almost like he thought maybe he had done something to her. Now Wyatt’s fist clenched.

“Both of you shut up.” Cheyenne shoved them apart.

Wyatt noticed Win stood behind Kevin with her hands clutched to her throat. A much more biddable kind of woman than Cheyenne. Wyatt would have said Molly was the biddable type, too, but then why’d she take off?

Wyatt’s eyes went to Kevin’s. “Did she say I did something to her?” He thought of waking up beside her. But that had been weeks ago. Nothing like that had ever happened again.

He’d thought of it though. Mercy, he’d thought of it a lot.

“Not in the note.” Kevin looked at the sheet of paper in his hand.

“I never had any kind of trouble with her. No harsh words.” Wyatt pulled the note away from Kevin and read it. “This says she’s going to find work. Ranch life doesn’t suit her. How could ranch life not suit someone?” Wyatt had trouble even imagining such a thing. There was no better way to live.

“It’s not like we made her help with branding.” Cheyenne stepped away, either figuring they’d passed on the fistfight or not caring if they went to slugging each other.

Win came up and caught Kevin’s arm. “It’s me. She’s gone because she doesn’t like that you got married. Or she just doesn’t like me and doesn’t want to have me in your family.”

Kevin looked down at her, his color high from his earlier temper with Wyatt, but suddenly he looked uncertain, sad. “I felt like things were better between us. She was upset I didn’t tell her I was getting married, but we’ve talked plenty since then.”

He swallowed hard. “But maybe we didn’t talk about important things. Maybe we just talked about day-to-day life. I thought things were good. I’ve never had any notion that she didn’t like you, Win. But I guess when something is important, I’ve talked to you instead of her. Molly and I always talked about everything. It’s not you who sent her off, it’s me.”