Cole, sensing the shift in her mood, cleared his throat. “Dusty, do me a favor and take Mac in the house. Rebecca and I need to talk over a few things.”

“Sure, Cole. Come on, Mac. I smelled cookies baking this morning.”

“Don’t get too carried away,” Rebecca warned. “Dinner’s in two hours.”

“We’ll stop at five cookies,” Dusty said, grinning.

“Stop at two,” Rebecca amended.

Rebecca and Cole watched Mac scamper behind Dusty into the house. She was proud of her boys, truly grateful to have them.

“Why’d you look after Dusty?” Cole asked. “No one else in this town did.”

“No child should go hungry or be mistreated.”

He studied her as if he sensed there was more to her caring for the boy. “And…?”

“And when I saw him running around town, half-starved with bad shoes and no one to care for him, I saw Mac. After Lily died, no one wanted him or cared what happened to him, either.”

Cole clenched his fists and his expression darkened. Rebecca had saved Mac from God knows what kind of life and for that he’d always be in her debt.

A tense silence fell between them before he finally said, “What do you know about Judd Saunders?”

The unexpected turn in the conversation surprised her but she kept it to herself. “He doesn’t come to town often, but I’ve seen enough of him to know he’s a dirty, mean drunk. The first time I saw the two of them in town, Judd was smacking Dusty around, demanding the boy find work.”

Cole’s fingers balled into fists. “Shame I wasn’t there.”

“I wish you had been.”

“Did he just up and leave the boy?”

“His wife died in the spring. Once she was gone, there was no one to protect the boy from Judd. I suppose it’s a blessing he abandoned Dusty in town.”

Cole seemed to absorb the information. “I see.”

“Why are you asking so many questions about Judd?”

He shrugged. “Curious.” He glanced up at the house. “Do me a favor, keep Dusty close to home. I don’t like him running wild. He may think he knows how to take care of himself, but he doesn’t.”

“Cole, the boy has got a level head.”

“Please make sure Dusty stays close to home unless you’re with him.”

His tone rankled her nerves. “I’ve been a parent longer than you and I think I know what’s best for Dusty.”

Fury blazed in Cole’s eyes. He was a man accustomed to having his orders followed. “I expect you to do as I say.”

She sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep her voice even. “Give me a reason to.”

“You don’t need a reason when I give an order.”

“This isn’t the army, Cole, and I’m not one of your soldiers.”

His jaw tensed. “Don’t push me, Rebecca.”

Rebecca’s temper snapped. “I’ll do what I think is best!” With that, she turned on her heel and slammed the front door behind her.

Standing in the foyer, she wrapped her shaking arms around her chest. How had her life become such a miserable mess?

Before she could entertain the first answer, the front door slammed open. Cole stood in the doorway, his body rigid with fury.

Chapter Sixteen

How dare she walk away from him!

Cole felt as if the demons of hell nipped at his feet as he stood in the doorway staring at Rebecca. She had the power to stir his passions and anger like no other woman and he was certain she was driving him mad. “I’m not finished with you.”

Rebecca smothered her shock with renewed anger. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

Before he could fire off another order, she turned on her heel and marched up the stairs.

He yanked off his hat and threw it on a chair. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Away from you!”

He marched after her and would have snatched her off the stairs if Bess hadn’t stepped out of the parlor and blocked his path. A dust rag in one hand, she glowered at him as a mother hen would protecting her young. “And just where do you think you’re going?”

“To talk to my wife,” he ground out. He watched Rebecca scurry up the stairs. He heard her door slam closed.

“Not until that temper of yours cools.” She planted her feet, ready to do battle.

Cole could have brushed past her with little effort, but he didn’t. He sucked in a deep breath through clenched teeth. “Bess, this is between Rebecca and me.”

“The way you were shouting, I’d say half the town’s heard what you’ve had to say.”

He stabbed fingers through his hair. “It’s not my fault she’s so damn hardheaded.”

“The pot calls the kettle black.”

“I’m not hardheaded. I’m logical and reasonable and she’s a fool if she can’t see that. I’m only doing what’s best for her.”

Her face creased with a frown. “Spoken like a true man.”

He thrust out a sigh. “I need to talk to Rebecca.”

“You’ve waited this long, you can wait another minute.” She motioned toward the library and started to walk toward it, fully expecting him to follow.

He did.

The room was just as it always was—stuffed with books and oversize chairs. Sunlight trickled into the room through lace curtains, giving the room a warm, inviting look.

Bess tucked her dust rag in her apron. “What’s eating at you?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, sarcasm lacing his words. “I’ve got more work than three men could do in a lifetime and a wife who’s acting like a spoiled child.”

“I’d say you both are doing a fair imitation of that.”

“Make your point, Bess.”

“You’re not the kind of man to come home in the middle of the day unless you’re half dead with illness or something is terribly wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Liar.”

A mixture of wisdom and cunning sparked in her eyes. There wasn’t any point in lying to her. She’d find out the truth soon enough. “Judd Saunders is back in town.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that snake doing in town?”

Cole shook his head, a bitter smile curling his lips. “Stan saw him at the Rosebud last night. He says he’s here for Dusty.”

She rubbed her chin, losing herself to thought. “Judd’s got a real problem with the bottle. Likely it’ll take a day or two before he sobers up. But Stan’s right, when he’s dried up he’ll come a looking for his boy. He always does.”

“He gave up all rights to that boy when he abandoned him.”

Bess shook her head. “Likely he don’t see it that way. The boy is his son.”

Cole sank into a chair, letting his long arms flop over the sides. “What the hell do I do?”

“Only one thing you can do. Talk to him. See if you can work out an arrangement so he’ll let Dusty stay.”

He pictured Dusty sauntering up the front walk with the fishing pole on his shoulder. He couldn’t bear the thought of him hungry or

covered in bruises. “What if he takes him away?”

“You sound like Rebecca.”

Cole pinned Bess with his gaze. “Our situations are completely different.”

“That so?”

“I’m nothing like Judd.”

“Rebecca didn’t know that when you first rode into town looking rougher than a prairie dog that got tangled with a cougar.”

“I’d been on the trail for two months. I didn’t worry about my appearance. I was coming to get my boy.”

“She didn’t know what you’d do, just like you don’t know what Judd is gonna do.”

Cole shot to his feet. “I know what Judd’s going to do. And I sure as hell am not going to let him lay a hand on Dusty.”

“You told any of this to Rebecca?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

Frustrated, he paced back and forth. “She doesn’t need to worry over something I can take care of.”

“She’s loves Dusty just as much as you. You need to trust her with your worries.”

“I trusted her once.”

“Sometimes things don’t turn out as we like. Life ain’t black and white and folks have to make the best decisions they can. And yes, sometimes, they make the wrong choice and disappoint us. If you give up on Rebecca because she made a mistake she’ll regret to her dying day, then you’re more a fool than I ever thought.”

Bess yanked out her dust rag from her apron. “Now I’ve got to get back to work.” She walked past him, dismissing him.

Cole smoothed his palms over his thighs. Bess was right in part. Rebecca needed to know Judd was in town and maybe, just maybe, he had been a bit heavy-handed with her earlier.

Resolved, he strode out of the room and toward the stairs. It was time he and Rebecca had that talk.

* * *

When Cole strode into Rebecca’s room, she sprang up from the edge of the bed. She wiped her moist face with the back of her hand. “Rebecca, we need—”

“How dare you come in here!” She looked up at the ceiling as if someone were there. “He comes in here looking so calm and collected and he’s turning my life upside down!”

“Calm down.”

She stamped her foot. “Great. Now he’s telling me to calm down.”

“Rebecca,” he said as if talking to a child.

“Get out!” She reached for a book on her night-stand and hurled it at his head.

Tags: Mary Burton Romance
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