Short-Straw Bride

  “Shh.” He placed a finger on her lips. “With all you went through yesterday, you need to rest. Besides, I have a special project I thought you might like to help me with later this morning. You won’t be able to help if you’re too worn out.”

  Her eyes lit. “What sort of project?”

  “I thought we could dismantle the front gate. Oh, and those warning signs, too. Something tells me we don’t really need them anymore.”

  A beatific smile blossomed across her face as she clasped his hand and drew it to her middle. “Oh, Travis. Do you mean it?”

  His chest expanded as he returned her smile. A man could get used to his woman looking at him like that.

  “Yes, darlin’. I mean it. I think it’s time for the Archers to rejoin the world.”

  Meredith stretched up on her tiptoes and touched a kiss to his cheek. “You are my world.”

  Her husky comment made his gut clench, but before he could do more than blink, she released his hand and trailed away from him. Which was probably a good thing seeing as how Crockett was standing right outside the doorway trying to look inconspicuous.

  Meredith bundled her shawl more tightly around her shoulders before ducking her head and scurrying past his brother. Travis knew he probably looked like a lovesick pup just standing there watching her go, but he didn’t care. Crockett even came into the room and stared into the newly emptied hall alongside him, obviously trying to taunt him out of his stupor.

  “So when are you finally going to tell her that you’re insanely in love with her?” Crockett asked, only a hint of teasing in his voice.

  Travis rubbed a hand over his whiskery jaw, reaching his fingers up to the place she had kissed. “Tonight. Definitely tonight.”

  33

  Meredith whistled and danced her way around the kitchen, drying the lunch dishes and wiping down the stove, her happiness too large to contain. Had there ever been a finer day? Yesterday’s storm had passed, and the blue sky left in its wake portended a bright future.

  Wouldn’t Myra be surprised to learn that all their plotting had proved unnecessary? A tiny giggle bubbled out of Meredith as she returned a stack of clean plates to the cabinet shelf. She hadn’t needed to use even one of Myra’s suggestions in order to get Travis to stay with her last night. Of course, she’d slept through nearly the entire experience, but there were enough lingering memories of his scent close to her face, his chest beneath her hand, and his touch at her waist to reassure her that it hadn’t been a dream.

  And this morning? Meredith sighed. Her hands stilled as she stared at the doorway where Travis had kissed her. She recalled the way he’d looked at her afterward, the possessive heat in his eyes, the way his lips quirked slightly as if eager to return to hers, the touch of his fingers through the sleeve of her gown. At that moment, all her self-doubts had vanished. She’d actually felt beautiful. Desired. Not at all like a woman who’d been foisted upon a reluctant bridegroom.

  Could it be that Travis no longer saw her as simply a responsibility but as something more? Had duty deepened to . . .

  Meredith couldn’t quite bring herself to name the emotion, not even in her thoughts. The disappointment would be too keen if his affection didn’t prove to be as deep as such a name would imply. His fondness for her had already grown so much. Getting greedy now would only risk halting their progress. Better to let the words come naturally. In their own time.

  As she tried to convince herself that she was patient enough to wait however long it might take, pounding hoofbeats approached from the direction of the road, seizing her attention.

  After working close to the house that morning, Travis had left after lunch to help Crockett and Neill assess the damage the storm had done to the herd. With cattle scattered all over the northern pasture, she didn’t expect him back until suppertime. Meredith reached for the loaded shotgun she’d propped against the wall near the back door, having sworn to her husband that she wouldn’t leave the house unarmed, and moved to the front room, where she could get a better look at the rider.

  Catching a glimpse of her brother-in-law’s scowling face as he leapt from his horse’s back, rifle in hand, sent relief spiraling through her—quickly followed by new alarm as she tried to guess what unseen foe had him so on guard.

  Jim climbed the porch and positioned himself with his back to the door, his rifle aimed across the yard.

  “Travis!”

  Meredith jumped at the sheer volume of his yell. Heavens! The man was louder than a grizzly. Ordering her heart palpitations to cease, she moved to the door, intending to inform the bear of his brother’s location, but the instant the hinge squeaked, Jim crouched and spun, bringing the barrel of his rifle in line with her chest.

  Meredith’s heart stopped altogether then. Her shotgun clunked to the ground as her breath hitched in her throat.

  “Confound it, woman. I could have shot you!” Jim yanked his rifle out of her direction, but he scowled at her as if the mishap were somehow her fault. Then he noted the shotgun at her feet, and his irritated expression immediately turned wary. He placed himself in front of her and began scanning the yard again.

  “Where are Travis and the others? Did Mitchell’s men attack?”

  “Everything’s fine, Jim. Truly.” Meredith stepped from behind him. “They’re all out checking the herd. Why would you think Roy’s men had returned? Unless . . .” She grabbed his arm. “Did you see someone on the road?”

  His brow furrowed. “No. But the gate was down. Travis never leaves that gate open. I figured something must’ve happened.”

  Meredith’s breath released in a soft whoosh. “Something did happen,” she said, a grin stretching across her face. “Your brother decided to rejoin the world. Travis and I took the gate down this morning.”

  Jim’s jaw hung slightly slack as he stared at her. “Travis took the gate down? Travis?”

  She nodded, pride for her husband nearly unbalancing her as she rose up onto the balls of her feet. “He took the warning signs down, too. Did you notice? No more scaring away the neighbors at gunpoint, I’m afraid.” A laugh escaped her, but it died when Jim’s frown refused to abate.

  “What about Mitchell? Didn’t Travis think that removing the gate would make us more vulnerable?”

  Meredith tilted her head a bit as she considered Jim’s uneasy stance. She’d thought he would be more pleased about the change, seeing as how it would aid his courting plans with Cassie, not to mention being good for his furniture building business. Then again, the locked gate had been a symbol of security to this family for the majority of their lives. It was only natural that such a change would require some adjustment.

  “Travis and Crockett discussed it at length this morning. They agreed that if Mitchell’s men are bent on causing mischief, a locked gate won’t stop them. The night of the fire proved that. All the gate does now is keep neighbors out and Archers in. With the four of you grown and fully capable of handling whatever comes down the path, Travis figured it was time to stop living in isolation.”

  The grunt Jim gave in reply was hard to read, so Meredith changed the subject.

  “How’s Cassie?”

  Jim’s mouth thinned, and a fierceness emerged in his eyes. “She assured me everything was fine. Said her father had given his word not to force her to marry Mitchell. She promised to come to me if he changed his mind.” He worked his jaw back and forth. “You don’t think they’d lock her in, do you? I watched her house last night and again this morning, and nothing seemed off. Her ma stormed out of the house early in the morning, but I saw Cassie before I left, and she said that except for an ugly argument between her folks, things were normal. She insisted I come home in case Mitchell stirred up trouble for Travis. I told her I’d check on her in a few days.”

  Meredith nibbled the inside of her cheek. Cassie had always been able to sway Uncle Everett to her way of thinking, but Aunt Noreen was another matter entirely. God had never made a more hardheaded woman. Hearing that
she’d gone out early was a bit worrisome. The woman never took idle strolls. But what trouble could she possibly stir up without her husband’s support?

  “I’ve never known Uncle Everett to break his word to Cassie,” Meredith said, trying to reassure herself as much as Jim. “If he’s promised her not to force the marriage, he won’t.”

  Jim made a noncommittal sound.

  “Why don’t you get cleaned up, and then come in and let me fix you something to eat?”

  “Nah.” Jim strode away from her and clomped down the steps toward his horse. “I need to talk to Travis.”

  She thought about stopping him, about mentioning that Travis had expected him to keep an eye on the house once he returned from town, but she held her tongue. Jim’s stoic features gave away little; nevertheless, Meredith sensed how the situation with Cassie ate at him. The Archers always handled their problems together. This time shouldn’t be any different.

  Besides, it wasn’t as if she needed a guard, she reminded herself as Jim mounted his horse. She had Sadie. And if the old girl slept under the porch most of the day, what did it matter? Meredith had periodically stayed alone for days at a time at the old homestead. She could certainly manage a few hours at the Archer ranch.

  And if Travis didn’t like the idea of her being unchaperoned for the duration of the afternoon, he could just come home and watch over her himself.

  “You’ll be all right here?” Jim turned in his saddle to face her, the tightness around his mouth testifying to his sudden indecision.

  “Of course.” Meredith’s lips curled into a secretive smile. An afternoon alone with her husband? She couldn’t get rid of Jim fast enough.

  An hour later, Meredith had dusted the parlor, swept the kitchen, and chopped a pot’s worth of vegetables for the stew she planned for dinner—a pretty remarkable feat since she spent nearly as much time peering out the window for Travis as she did working.

  Surely he would come soon. Unless Jim had trouble locating him. She’d never ridden the north pasture, had no idea how large it was or how wooded. Perhaps finding Travis was more difficult than she’d imagined. And even then, Travis wouldn’t leave without at least having a conversation with Jim.

  As Meredith poured water over her potatoes, onions, and carrots, another thought struck her. What if Travis felt no urgency to return? What if he had full confidence in her abilities to handle things at the house? Meredith frowned as she set the water pitcher aside. She wanted Travis to trust her, to have confidence in her abilities. But what she wanted even more was for him to jump at the chance to be alone with her.

  And wasn’t that a muddled mess. Meredith rolled her eyes in exasperation. The man had a ranch to run, for heaven’s sake. The last thing he needed was a love-struck wife making demands on his time during prime work hours. They’d have other opportunities—

  The sound of a rider approaching banished all practical reasoning, leaving her head swirling and her stomach jumping as she rushed to the bathing room to check her appearance in the shaving mirror.

  Travis had come after all.

  Anticipation fluttered in her chest as she untied her apron and tossed it onto the table. She pranced down the hall, eager to greet her husband. But when she reached for the door handle, the sound of Sadie’s growl stopped her. Caution reasserted itself. Meredith released the knob and instead reached for the shotgun propped nearby.

  Whoever was in the yard, it wasn’t her husband.

  34

  Travis guided Bexar through the muddy terrain left from yesterday’s storm, methodically working his way back to the ranch. Jim had been none too happy to see the gate down and had given him an earful about how it didn’t make sense to reduce security around the house until things with Mitchell were settled. And though Travis still believed that taking down the gate was what God had called him to do, hearing his own doubts voiced aloud left him uneasy.

  I’m trying to trust you, Lord. But I feel like I’m fighting against nature. Common sense tells me to lock down, not open up. To protect those I love with every tool at my disposal.

  What if he had misunderstood God’s intention? What if his actions today were putting his family in danger?

  “Is it too late to lay out a fleece?” Travis quipped, tilting an eye toward heaven. “A little confirmation would sure be appreciated.”

  The more he thought about that fleece, though, the more he remembered what the Lord had demanded of the man who’d laid it out. He’d demanded trust beyond what common sense dictated. God whittled Gideon’s army from three thousand men to three hundred, then sent him into battle against an enemy whose troops were too vast to be counted. Gideon purposely made himself vulnerable, ignored his instincts, and put the welfare of his people into the hands of another. And the Lord rewarded him by granting him victory.

  Travis squinted into the distance, sighting in on the trail of woodsmoke that marked the location of the ranch house. Was God calling him to do the same?

  Bexar ambled into a clearing as Travis pondered. Then from out of the quiet, two muted cracks—gunfire—set both man and horse on alert.

  Meri!

  Travis kicked Bexar into a run. The animal leapt to his command, his hooves eating up the damp earth as they raced forward. The frantic pace made them reckless, but Travis drove on, his mind focused on only one thing—getting to his wife.

  I trusted her to you! his soul cried as trees blurred past.

  Shoring up his faith, he held on to the knowledge that she had to be relatively safe in order to fire the signal shots. But even that did little to calm the anxiety raging within. He needed to see her, touch her. Only then would he be able to breathe.

  The barn came into view. Travis slowed Bexar with a touch of the reins and yanked his rifle free of the scabbard. His gaze scoured the trees, searching for the threat. Meredith didn’t spook easily. She wouldn’t have fired those shots without reason.

  When he found nothing suspicious behind the barn, he used his knees to steer Bexar into the main yard. That’s when he spotted her. Sitting on the porch rocker, the shotgun near but not gripped across her lap, Sadie lying at her feet. She looked safe. Beautiful.

  Something wound tight inside him uncoiled a bit.

  He could tell the moment she noticed him. She pushed slowly to her feet, as if needing to verify his identity before taking any deliberate action. Once she did, she scrambled down the steps, picked up her skirts, and ran toward him, her limp exacerbated by her hurry.

  Travis couldn’t yet see her face clearly, but there was a desperation to her movement that twisted his gut. She wasn’t just relieved to see him. Something was wrong. Urging Bexar forward, he crossed half the yard in the time it took her to get to the corral. Once he was close enough, he slid from the horse’s back and rushed to meet her.

  His hands gripped her arms when he reached her, and his gaze roved over her, searching for proof that she was indeed unharmed. “What happened, Meri? Are you all right?”

  “It’s not me, Travis.” Meredith bent her arms and grabbed hold of his elbows, her fingers pressing through the thickness of his coat. “It’s Cassie.”

  He looked over at the house. “Your cousin’s here? Jim said he left her in town.”

  “She’s not here. She’s at the old homestead. About to marry Roy Mitchell.”

  His attention snapped back to her face. “What?” Jim was going to be livid. “I thought your uncle gave his word not to force the union.”

  “Aunt Noreen must’ve interfered somehow. She hates to be thwarted, and in her mind, Cassie’s marriage to Roy is the best way to preserve their livelihood.” Meredith was rambling so fast, Travis struggled to keep pace. “She must’ve warned Roy of Uncle Everett’s change of heart, not realizing what measures he would take to ensure he didn’t lose the land he’d been promised.”

  Meri’s vivid eyes locked with his. “I think he kidnapped her, Travis. It’s the only thing that makes any sense. Mr. Wheeler tried to make it sound like
everything was amicable. But I know Cassie, and she’d never—”

  “Wait a minute.” Travis’s eyes narrowed. “Wheeler was here?” That was the man who’d tried to convince him to sell out, and no doubt one of the riders responsible for setting fire to his barn. He’d been here? Talking to Meri?

  She nodded. “Roy sent him to deliver the invitation.”

  “Did he touch you?” Travis shoved the words past clenched teeth. If that snake had so much as laid a finger on her . . .

  “He didn’t even get off his horse.” A gleam shone in Meredith’s eyes. “Between Sadie’s growls and my shotgun, we managed to welcome him in true Archer style.”

  Travis grinned. Here he’d torn down gates and disposed of warning signs—things his wife had encouraged him to do—and now she was the one welcoming strangers at gunpoint.

  Sadie barked, and for the first time, Travis noticed the dog standing a pace behind Meri. He reached down and stroked her behind her ears. “Sounds like my girls had things well in hand.” The old bird dog barked again in appreciation of his approval.

  When he straightened, Meredith’s eyes were scanning the woods beyond the barn. “Do you think the others heard the shots? Jim will want to know about Cassie. We’ll need to strategize, and we don’t have much time.”

  “Don’t worry. They’ll come barrelin’ out of those trees any minute.” Especially Jim. The man was already edgier than a new razor. “But for now, I think you better start at the beginning and tell me exactly what Wheeler said.”

  “There isn’t that much to tell.” Meredith shivered slightly and rubbed her arms. Her shawl must have slipped off when she left the porch. Funny how she hadn’t noticed the cold until that moment.

  Travis shrugged out of his work coat and settled the heavy garment on her shoulders. Tenderness softened his face for a moment as he fidgeted with the collar. But when he finished, the hard lines returned. “What did he say?”

  “He said that Roy and Cassie were on their way to my father’s old property along with my aunt and uncle and a handful of guests. Knowing how close Cassie and I are, Roy asked Wheeler to ride ahead and extend a personal invitation to us. For Cassandra’s sake, he asked that we set aside any hard feelings over previous misunderstandings and attend the wedding. It’s supposed to be in the cabin at five o’clock tonight.”