Jade

  “I suppose I have time for a cup of coffee.” She stepped down from the carriage and crossed to a fallen log. “Do you often sleep in the woods?”

  “Not often.”

  “I thought you rented a room at Millie Potter’s.”

  “Usually.” He poured two cups and handed one to her before taking a seat in the grass. “But sometimes I just need to be alone.”

  “Ah.” She stared into her coffee. “I can understand that. I often find myself wishing for time alone.”

  “I suppose it must seem overwhelming sometimes, facing the prospect of a new business, while also having to adjust to three new sisters.”

  She nodded. “I haven’t decided which is more difficult. The business, or the strangers who are my sisters.”

  Wade leaned his back against his saddle and studied her. One dainty foot was crossed over the other. Her gown of amber silk clung to her curves in a very beguiling way. She appeared tiny. Delicate. But he knew that her appearance was deceiving. There was nothing weak or fragile about Jade Jewel. Right now she was frowning, and he knew that he was the cause of that frown. Ordinarily he would have done whatever he could to ease her tension. But today there was a devil inside him. One that he was tired of fighting.

  “What brings you to the banks of Poison Creek at this hour of the day, Miss Jewel? I don’t think it’s privacy you’re seeking. Or a bath.” Though the thought of seeing her bathing caused a pleasant heat low in his stomach.

  “I was eager to see what the workmen had accomplished since my visit yesterday.” The truth was, it had taken all Jade’s courage to leave the safety of her ranch. But she couldn’t permit a gang of villains to rob her of her freedom. And so, despite her fears, she had forced herself to venture forth. “I…thought I’d take a different route to town.”

  Wade heard the slight hesitation in her voice. “Is something wrong?”

  “Of course not. Everything is fine. Why do you ask?”

  He wrapped his hands around his cup and gave a negligent shrug of his shoulders. “I just wondered why you came in this direction, when it’s so far out of your way.” His gaze was arrested by the jewel-handled knife tucked into the sash at her waist. “And why you’re wearing that for protection.”

  Seeing the direction of his gaze, she touched a hand to the hilt. “I carry this always, though I usually keep it hidden from view. It was my mother’s. And her mother’s before her. When my mother came here from China, she carried this to ward off evil spirits.”

  His lips curved. “Did it work?”

  She gave a mysterious smile. “I don’t know about evil spirits. But it saved her many times from men with evil intentions.”

  Wade grew thoughtful as he stared into his cup. “The world is full of men with evil intentions.”

  “I suppose you see a great deal of them in your work.” She sipped her coffee.

  “And what about your work, Miss Jewel?” He looked up, pinning her with those fiery eyes. “Don’t you think you’ll have to deal with evil men in the Golden Dragon?”

  She felt the heat stain her cheeks. “That will be my problem. And I’ll be the one to deal with it.”

  “It won’t be just your problem. The presence of such men will become a problem for the entire town.”

  She gave a sigh. “I knew you would find a way to twist this conversation until it got back to my business and why I should forsake my plans.”

  “You’ll find many in town who oppose you, Miss Jewel. What you’re planning is offensive to them. It will attract the sort of people to Hanging Tree that often bring trouble. I hope you have good friends to stand by you.”

  Again she heard that thread of righteous anger. “It’s what everyone hopes for. A friend to stand by us in our time of need.” She paused, thinking about her experience at the hands of the gunmen. Without thinking of the consequences she blurted, “I discovered such a friend yesterday.”

  He watched her in silence over the rim of his cup.

  “On my way home from Hanging Tree I was attacked by a group of armed men.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Did you recognize them?”

  She shook her head. “They called their leader Ned. Their faces were covered by bandannas. But I know that they intended…harm.” She saw the hardness that crept into his features. And the little muscle that began working in his jaw. Even a man of peace would know what armed, ruthless men did to helpless women. “All I had for defense was my knife. But I was prepared to use it.” She lowered her voice. “Or die trying.”

  “You look very much alive to me, Miss Jewel.”

  She drained her cup, then set it aside. “The gunmen were driven away by the sound of gunshots. But when they rode off, I found myself alone. Whoever fired those shots didn’t wish to be seen. But I keep asking myself, why? Why would someone go to the trouble of saving my life, and then leave before I could offer my thanks?”

  “Perhaps you imagined the gunshots.”

  “Did my attackers imagine them, as well?” Agitated, she stood.

  He got slowly to his feet, towering over her. Again she felt awed by the sense of tightly coiled strength in this man of peace.

  “No, Reverend Weston. I know what I heard. Someone saved my life. And though I don’t know him, I’m deeply indebted to him.” She tipped her head back to look up into his eyes. Her own were troubled. “Ruby explained it by saying that in the bayou everyone believes in the presence of guardian angels. Is that part of your culture, as well? Do you believe it was a…guardian angel who saved me?”

  He gave her a dangerous smile. “It might have been.” The smile grew. “But more than likely it was a stranger just passing by who saw a need and responded to it.”

  “But why would he leave without revealing himself?”

  His gaze fastened on her lips, and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

  “I can see that this disturbs you, Miss Jewel. But I don’t see why it matters so much. You’re safe. You walked away unharmed.”

  The breeze caught a strand of her hair and flayed it against her cheek. Without thinking he reached up and caught it, watching through narrowed eyes as it sifted between his fingers.

  Jade couldn’t breathe. Her heart was thundering so loudly in her chest, she was certain he could hear.

  When he realized what he’d done, he lowered his hand to his side, where he clenched it into a fist. “And you’ve probably learned a valuable lesson about the perils of traveling alone in this desolate land.”

  She let out the breath she’d been unconsciously holding. Sweet heaven, she’d feared he would kiss her. And the truth was, she couldn’t be certain whether or not she would have resisted.

  “Now you sound like Diamond.” Highly agitated, she stalked to her carriage. “Thank you for the coffee, Reverend Weston.”

  “Any time, Miss Jewel.” He placed a hand beneath her elbow to assist her into the rig.

  Her pulse speeded up and she blamed it on anger.

  As she took up the reins he said, “I hope you’ll be cautious on your ride into town.”

  “You needn’t fear.” She flicked the reins, and the horses lurched ahead. “I wouldn’t want to test my guardian angel too often. By the time the Golden Dragon is completed, he may be the only one left on my side.”

  Deep in thought, Wade watched until her carriage disappeared below a ridge. Then he returned to the campfire and tossed his lukewarm coffee into the flames.

  Chapter Four

  “Reverend Weston, look what Agnes made for you.” Lavinia Thurlong had a death grip on her daughter’s arm, shoving her forward until she was standing directly in front of the handsome minister.

  “It’s a blackberry pie.” Agnes blushed and giggled as their fingers brushed.

  “Thank you, Agnes. That’s very kind of you.” Wade gave her a gentle smile and set the pie on the windowsill of Durfee’s Mercantile. Once a week he held services in the back room. The people came from miles around to hear his ringing sermons.
r />   Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jade step down from her carriage, flanked by her three sisters. He fought to cover his surprise.

  “Agnes is the best pie baker in Hanging Tree.” At the moment it wasn’t her daughter’s baking skills that interested Lavinia. The only thing she had on her mind was snagging an eligible bachelor for eighteen-year-old Agnes.

  Agnes was a pretty little thing, with a headful of dark curls, big brown eyes and a dimple in each cheek. The trouble was, all the cowboys for miles around were sniffing after her. And none of them was what her mother considered proper husband material.

  Now, Reverend Wade Weston, on the other hand, was handsome enough to make even Lavinia’s heart flutter. And every mother knew that a man of God would make an excellent husband. After all, the town minister and his family always had a place to sleep and food on the table. Not like farmers, who had to scratch a living from the soil. Or cowboys, who were always off chasing a dream, or another herd of mustangs. And from Reverend Weston’s sermons he was known to be kind, considerate, thoughtful. In short, every mother’s dream.

  “I guess she takes after you, Lavinia,” Wade said, keeping his smile carefully in place as Jade trailed her sisters up the steps.

  Lavinia blushed nearly as much as her daughter. With matching smiles the two women filed into the room and took their places alongside their neighbors.

  “Morning, Wade.” Diamond greeted him affectionately.

  “Good morning, Diamond.” He accepted her handshake. “Where’s Adam?”

  “Out with the herd on the north range.”

  “Send him my best.” He turned to Pearl, who was lowering her parasol. “I see Cal didn’t join you.”

  “He and the boys are with Adam. This time of year there’s just too much to do out on the range.”

  “I understand.” He smiled at Ruby, who was adjusting her shawl to hide her revealing neckline. “I’m happy to see you, Ruby.”

  “You would have seen a whole lot more of me if Diamond hadn’t reminded me to cover up.” She knotted the ends of the shawl and tossed them carelessly over her shoulder before sauntering inside the mercantile. “Wouldn’t want to create a scandal,” she muttered.

  The eyes of every man in the room riveted on her as she followed her sisters up the aisle to a row of vacant seats.

  Wade was still chuckling when he turned to Jade with his hand outstretched. “Good morning.” He kept his tone deliberately bland, though he felt suddenly too warm.

  This day she was wearing a gown of pale blue silk, with mandarin collar and black frog fasteners. Her long hair had been twisted into an elegant knot on top of her head, with little tendrils slipping loose to kiss her cheeks and the nape of her neck.

  “I’m glad you came with your sisters. I was afraid you might begin to avoid Sunday services.”

  “And miss hearing you warn the good people of Hanging Tree about the evil woman in their midst?”

  He nearly laughed at the sparks that shot from her eyes. She was daring him to rile the congregation. And he was a man who had always loved a challenge. But he wasn’t here to cause trouble. He would rather prevent it whenever possible.

  She shot a look at the steaming pie. “An admirer, Reverend?”

  “It’s Wade,” he said with a wicked smile. “And the pie is from Agnes Thurlong.”

  Jade returned his smile with a sugary one of her own. “A fine choice. Agnes is shy and sweet. She’d never give anyone a moment of trouble.”

  Unspoken laughter warmed his voice. “I see you came to town prepared to goad me into a fight.”

  Jade lifted her chin a fraction. “I came today because Diamond suggested that Sunday assembly would afford me an opportunity to face Lavinia and the others who have begun a whispering campaign against me.”

  Wade wanted to tell her they weren’t whispers. They had grown loud. And ugly.

  “I’ll warn you again, Miss Jewel. Tread carefully. Even neighbors can become a dangerous mob, given the right set of circumstances.”

  He saw the way her eyes narrowed, and realized his warning had fallen on deaf ears.

  “I also came today to thank my guardian angel.”

  If he was surprised, he managed to hide it. “And how would you recognize this paragon?”

  “At the end of your service you always ask if anyone has any news they wish to share with the congregation. I’ve been thinking that I would plead for my guardian angel to reveal himself so that I can properly thank him.”

  Wade couldn’t hold back his laughter. “I’m sure such a request would bring dozens of men leaping to their feet for the chance to be…properly thanked by Miss Jade Jewel.”

  She felt her cheeks grow hot. “I believe you’re having fun at my expense, Reverend Weston.”

  “I told you. It’s Wade. And I’m not making fun of you. More than half the men in this town would give a great deal to have Miss Jade Jewel indebted to them.”

  “I think you have me confused with my sister Ruby.”

  “If you believe that, you underestimate yourself, Miss Jewel.”

  She didn’t allow herself even a moment to bask in the glow of his praise. After all, he was merely being kind. It was his job to say such things to people, in order to keep them coming to his service. Besides, sooner or later he would show his true colors and take sides with the townspeople against her.

  “I’ll say good day. I’m sure you’ll provide us with plenty of food for thought, Reverend Weston.” She emphasized his title before pulling her hand free and brushing past him.

  “I’ll try my best, Miss Jewel.”

  Wade spent another half hour greeting the farmers and ranchers and their families who took advantage of Sunday-morning services to stock up on supplies and visit with their neighbors. While he made small talk, or listened to their litany of problems, he found himself glancing across the room to where a slim young figure in a silk gown the color of Texas bluebells sat beside her sisters.

  A number of people nudged each other, whispering and pointing at the four fascinating Jewel sisters. But it was Jade who caused the greatest interest. Each day, as the Golden Dragon took shape, the rumors spread.

  Whenever their eyes met, Wade felt a growing admiration for the woman who was the object of so much speculation. Whatever she was feeling, she kept her spine straight, her gaze level.

  By the time he started his sermon, he had found his inspiration. And by the time his sermon ended, even Lavinia Thurlong and Gladys Witherspoon agreed that the preacher had never displayed more zeal.

  The topic of his sermon had been the danger of idle gossip.

  “Does anyone wish to share something with the congregation?” Wade asked at the end of the service.

  When no one stood, he stared pointedly at Jade. Feeling the heat of his gaze, she refused to look at him. Instead, she kept her eyes lowered and studied her hands, folded primly in her lap.

  She’d had plenty of time to mull over her intention. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Wade was right. If she foolishly announced to the entire town that a mystery man had saved her from a gang, she would then have to describe in detail what had happened. And the thought of making public her encounter was most unappealing. It had been difficult enough just telling the marshal. Besides, throughout the entire sermon she had felt the hostile stares from the congregation. There was no way she wanted to draw any more attention to herself.

  “Well, then.” Wade gave them the benediction of his smile. “I hope you will all leave with a lighter burden than when you entered.”

  He walked to the door and opened it, then stepped out on the porch, shaking hands with the people as they took their leave. When the Jewel sisters stepped outside, he had a smile and a kind word for each of them.

  Jade steeled herself as she was forced to offer her hand. “That was a lovely sermon.” She absorbed the jolt as she looked into his eyes.

  “I’m glad you liked it.” His big hand engulfed hers. There was
a hint of laughter in his voice. “I did it for your benefit. After all, you’re going to need all the cooperation your neighbors have to give, once the Golden Dragon is completed.” Before she could respond he added, “I thought you were going to ask about your mystery man. What happened, Miss Jewel? Lose your nerve?”

  “I…thought about it and decided you were right. It would be foolish to make a spectacle of myself. I’m sure he had a good reason for not wanting to reveal himself.”

  “I think you did the right thing. Still,” he added with a growing smile, “it would have been interesting to see how many men would admit to being your guardian angel.”

  She pulled her hand away and took a step back. Once again he was laughing at her. She found his sense of humor wearing thin. “Good day, Reverend Weston.”

  “Good day, Miss Jewel,” he muttered as he turned to Rufus Durfee and his family.

  With Sunday services concluded, most of the ranchers and their families enjoyed a brief respite from their rigorous chores. The children played tag around the trees, while the men loaded their wagons with supplies. The women spread quilts on the grass and gossiped with neighbors while laying out the food they’d brought from home.

  “Come on.” Diamond looped her arm through Pearl’s, and motioned for Jade and Ruby to follow. “Let’s get to Millie Potter’s before all the food is gone.”

  Millie Potter’s boardinghouse always enjoyed a rush of business on Sunday. Besides her regulars, like Marshal Quent Regan and Dr. Cosmo Prentice and the other bachelors, there were those ranch families prosperous enough to indulge their taste for Millie’s fine cooking.

  Potter’s Boardinghouse sat at the end of the dusty road the townspeople referred to as Main Street. The house reflected the woman who owned it. Neat as a pin, with the floors and windows sparkling, it boasted a formal parlor and a dining room big enough to hold a dozen or more comfortably. The dishes might have been mismatched, and a few of them cracked, but the food more than made up for it.

  From the kitchen wafted the wonderful fragrance of freshly baked bread, and the spicy perfume of apples and cinnamon.