Mail Order Bride: Katie (Orphan Brides Go West Book 3) Page 8

  Katie turned to face him, and he heard her breath catch when she realized how close he was standing. Leaning forward to look at the clipping himself, he had her boxed against the wall, and Katie had nowhere to turn. She looked up at him again and he met her gaze, wondering at the fear he saw there.

  “What is it?” he whispered, lifting his hand to brush his knuckles against her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine,” she dropped her eyes, and he could see the heave of her chest as she gulped deep breathes of air.

  If only he could understand what it was that made her afraid, and why she was being so cagey with him. They were supposed to be getting married on Friday, as far as she knew. Why wouldn’t she open up to him? There was something she was keeping from him, he could tell, and it was aggravating him no end that she refused to confess it. He was frustrated with her, but at the same time had an almost uncontrollable urge to kiss her. Placing his finger beneath her lowered chin, he lifted her face to his and looked deeply into her eyes.

  “You can tell me what’s bothering you. I wish you’d trust me.”

  In response, she closed her eyes. Her dark eyelashes made half circles on her pale cheeks. A single tear fell from beneath one of those half-moons, and drifted slowly down the side of her face. Kristoff was startled, unsure of how to respond. He had no experience comforting a crying woman, and such a sight usually sent him scampering in the other direction. But as the tear reached her chin, he lifted his finger to catch it.

  Leaning down, he kissed her gently on her upturned mouth. Her full lips met his, responding softly at first, then she pushed into him with greater urgency, curling one hand around behind his neck and pulling him closer. Kristoff felt a pleasant warmth travel from his mouth and down through his body, as though a tide was sparking life within him. Her mouth was so small and soft. He drew her body to his, her supple curves melding into the line of his hard body.

  In a moment, she pulled away from him, a barely perceptible frown on her delicate face. Kristoff protested, and pulled her back toward him, but she lifted her hands against his chest to stop him.

  “What’s wrong, Katie dear?”

  “I just don’t think we should, that’s all.”

  “Why not? We’re to be married, what’s the harm?” His heart was pounding loudly in his ears, and his body screamed out for more of her. He couldn’t clear his head to think, all he knew was that he needed Katie, every part of her.

  “We’re not married yet, Kristoff,” she said it snidely, and it stabbed him to the core. The way she said it, it sounded as though she had doubts about marrying him at all, and he wondered what he had done to cause a change of heart.

  “Don’t you want to marry me?” he asked, backing away from her, feeling a dull pain building in his chest. Katie didn’t answer him, only ran from the room with a sob. Kristoff slumped down onto the settee, laying his head back on a soft throw pillow. He would be darned if he could understand that woman. She had kissed him back as though he was the one man in the world she wanted. Their kiss had been deep and passionate. It was a kiss unlike any other he’d ever had in his life.

  There was a connection between them that couldn’t be denied. They shared an intense attraction, there was no doubt about it. But when she pulled away from him, she’d looked at him with a mixture of despair and anger. He couldn’t comprehend what he’d done to cause her to see him that way.

  How could they build a solid relationship based only upon attraction? He had to know her, what made her who she was. And importantly, he wanted her to reveal what it was she was hiding from him and why. He had to find a way to get her to talk to him, or there was no hope for them as a couple. Any marriage without openness or honesty would be doomed from the start, and Kristoff was determined not to foster that kind of relationship.

  He wanted to build a loving family with someone, based on trust. If they couldn’t do that, he’d rather remain single. He had a good life here, and he was content, if somewhat lonely. He could continue living that life if things didn’t work out between them. He’d be disappointed, that was certain, but surely he would be able to get her out of his mind without too much difficulty. Just as the thought passed through his head, the realization dawned on him that it wouldn’t be as easy as that. Katie Pearson had already worked her way into a place in his heart that would make her hard to forget.

  “Women!” he huffed in frustration, pulling the pillow from behind his head and burying his face in it to muffle a yell in the downy stuffing.

  ***

  Katie sat solemnly on a bench outside the front door of the store chewing nervously on a jagged nail. Kristoff had kissed her, a kiss that made her dizzy with desire, after telling Belle Waters he didn’t want to marry Katie. Was he toying with her feelings? Surely he wouldn’t do that, not given Hannah’s description of his character and after having brought her all the way from Boston.

  Katie’s reverie was interrupted by Mrs. Hutchins, who strode through the door her gaze sweeping the street and landing on Katie’s hunched figure.

  “There you are, my dear. Well, well, what are you doing out here?”

  “Just getting some air, Mellie.”

  “I meant to mention it earlier, but it completely slipped my mind. Kristoff has invited us to his ranch for supper tonight. So, we’ll head home now to get ready.”

  “I’ve got a bit of a headache, actually and . . . ”

  “Nonsense child, he’s invited his friends over to give them a chance to meet you before the wedding. You’re the guest of honor, you can’t miss it.”

  Mrs. Hutchins looked horrified at the prospect of Katie missing out on what seemed to be a kind of engagement party. Funny that Kristoff hadn’t mentioned anything about it to her, although she supposed she hadn’t really given him much of a chance. It did seem strange to go ahead with a dinner party, introducing her around as his fiancée, if he didn’t intend to marry her. But perhaps he didn’t want to cancel the engagement celebration at the last minute, and still intended to back out of the wedding.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize that, Mellie. Of course we’ll go then.”

  Katie stood to her feet reluctantly and followed Mrs. Hutchins’ wide, swaying hips back into the store. Katie sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was to face a bunch of strangers and pretend to be happy about a wedding that was never going to happen. It didn’t seem like she had much of a choice about the matter though, so she might as well try to enjoy herself. And it would be a treat to see Kristoff’s house. She wondered what kind of place a man like Kristoff would have. Even if it was never to be hers, it would be interesting to see it, just the same.

  ***

  Katie sat beside Mr. and Mrs. Hutchins on the wide plank seat atop their rocking wagon. She watched with growing excitement as they drew closer to Kristoff’s property. Mrs. Hutchins kept up a rolling commentary about his ranch, his house, the horses, the neighbors, and every piece of idle gossip she could think of as they trundled along.

  Set in a lush hollow of the Sacramento Valley, his ranch was a small one that joined onto the edge of a much larger property owned by a well-known rancher, Mr. George Smythe. Apparently his house was a day’s ride away, but the edge of his behemoth property touched on the border of Kristoff’s and he’d sold the small patch of land to Kristoff two years earlier as a favor to the potential new mayor. Mrs. Hutchins said that Mr. Smythe was determined to see his friend and neighbor in the mayor’s seat, and had pledged to back his election campaign.

  As they approached the house down a short winding drive, Katie could see Kristoff had placed candles around the entrance of the house illuminating the gardens and entryway with a twinkle of lights. She spotted wagons, coaches and buggies of all shapes and sizes parked neatly in lines in front of what appeared to be a large stable. Stable hands busily rubbed and bedded down horses in the stable, and folk from town and the surrounding properties, stepped through the gardens and into the house, the buzz of their conv
ersations and laughter carrying loudly on the night air.

  Suddenly Katie felt nervous. Kristoff’s house was grand, his stables impressive, and the people attending the party were obviously the ‘Who’s-Who’ of Sacramento society. She had never rubbed shoulders with people like this before. In Boston, she had been first a well-educated but poor orphan, then a poor married woman, and finally a poor widow. The only people she’d known of this caliber were the ones she’d waited on at the Sommer’s house. Well, at least she knew how to behave, even if she was more comfortable serving them than socializing with them.

  Mrs. Hutchins seemed to sense her discomfort.

  “Don’t worry, dear. Everyone is excited to meet you. We don’t carry on with the airs and graces of the east coast out here. You’ll fit in just fine.”

  Katie inclined her head gratefully and tried to smile. They pulled to a halt in front of the house, and a stable boy ran to meet them. He nodded his head, then reached for the horse’s bridle.

  “I’ll take ‘im from ‘ere if ya like,” he said.

  “Thank you Ralph, most kind of you,” said Mr. Hutchins, stepping off the wagon and holding up his hand to help his wife down behind him.

  Katie stood, and took Mr. Hutchin’s hand to climb from the wagon seat, scanning the property with great interest. It was a lovely ranch, kept very tidy and in good repair. The gardens were dormant at this time of year, but hedges remained green and vibrant, and looked to be nicely established and trimmed. The driveway was smooth and well maintained. The house itself was a two-story farmhouse, similar to the Hutchin’s home, but larger. It was painted a light blue color, with white trim and a tin roof. A tall chimney divided the roof, and lazy smoke drifted into the darkness, a welcome sight on a cool night.

  Just then, Kristoff’s tall frame appeared in the doorway.

  “You’re here,” he cried, stepping out to meet them. He took Katie’s hand in his own and kissed it gently.

  “I’m so glad you came. I wanted you to have a chance to see my home, and meet my friends, before the wedding.”

  Katie felt her face grow warm under his gaze, and she smiled.

  “Thank you for being so considerate. Your home is quite lovely.”

  Kristoff led them up the front stairs and into the house. It was already full of partygoers. The din of their conversations reverberated loudly throughout the house, and Katie was sure she wouldn’t be able to hear herself think let alone converse with anyone else.

  “You know all of these people?” she shouted above the noise of the crowd.

  He simply nodded and grinned. Then he went about the room, pulling her along by the hand behind him, and introduced her to each person, one-by-one. Katie did her duty, smiling nodding and answering questions as politely as she could. Whenever a tray of food passed her by held by a smartly dressed waiter, she made sure to grab something from it to eat, since she was becoming more and more exhausted with each passing moment. By the end of the night, she had met and spoken with everyone there. She walked onto the verandah for some peace, trying to recall the names of the people she’d met, matching them with faces in her mind’s eye.

  Standing outside staring in at the party through the window, Katie nibbled on a sandwich she had grabbed from a tray on her way out. Inside, people were chattering and laughing together. Some people were gathered around an upright piano, and a woman was belting out some raucous tunes which a few of the others attempted to sing along to as well. The woman’s red hair was piled high on her head, and ringlets cascaded down and across her peaches-and-cream shoulders. She finished the song, and turned her head to say something to Kristoff, who stood by her side watching her play with a drink in his hand.

  It was Belle Waters.

  Katie’s stomach clenched into a tight knot, and she leaned forward against the window pane, almost pressing her nose against the glass in her haste. What was Belle doing here? From what Katie could tell, the party was made up mostly of politicians, business owners and church folk. How did Belle fit into that particular crowd?

  Belle stood and lay her hand on Kristoff’s arm, laughing heartily at something he said. Just then, she spied Katie watching her. Belle grinned scornfully at her, and turned her back to Katie as she linked her arm through Kristoff’s. Both Kristoff and Belle were faced away from her now, so she couldn’t see what they were saying or doing, but they stood that way for several minutes before Katie pushed herself away from the window and wandered down the stairs and into the yard.

  What was the relationship between Kristoff and Belle? If indeed there was one. Was Belle simply hopeful, or did Kristoff reciprocate her feelings? No doubt Belle must be the reason that Kristoff had decided against marrying Katie. But how could a man of his stature consider marrying a woman like Belle? He certainly wouldn’t be able to run for mayor with a saloon girl on his arm. Or would he? The way that Belle was dressed tonight, in an understated cream and gold gown, with minimal jewelry and no makeup, she looked every bit the mayor’s wife. Perhaps a town like Sacramento was more forgiving and accepting of people who made a change to their lifestyle than those in Boston would have been. Maybe Kristoff did intend to marry Belle after all. And even if he didn’t, and he married someone else, would his wife want to share him with Belle? Katie knew she certainly wouldn’t. When she married, whomever she chose to marry, she wanted him to be all hers – body, mind and soul.

  I have to put it out of my mind. There’s nothing to be gained by worrying about something I have no control over. Kristoff will do what he wishes, and I will be fully occupied taking care of the baby.

  Katie felt a spark of curiosity when she noticed the stables. She wondered what kind of horses Kristoff might have. She’d always loved horses, but had never owned one herself, and had rarely had the chance to ride one. She wandered across the lawn toward the stables, opened a thick, timber door, and stepped inside. The building was divided in two, with stalls along each side, and a walkway down the middle. Katie closed the door behind her, and ambled through the stable, stopping to speak to, and pet, each horse she found there. Obviously a much larger number of horses were stabled there this evening than normal. With several to each spacious stall, she wondered which of them could be Kristoff’s.

  “You like horses?” Kristoff’s voice startled her from behind. She spun about to see him standing in the doorway, watching her with a smile.

  “I love them. I’ve never owned one, but I’ve always admired them.”

  “My favorite rider is down the end on the right. His name is King. He’s a beauty.”

  Kristoff walked past Katie to the stall he had indicated, and she followed close behind him. A tall, black horse stuck its nose over the stall door and nibbled at Kristoff’s chest. Katie giggled.

  “Maybe he’s hungry.”

  “He’s always hungry for treats, aren’t you boy?” Kristoff rubbed his forehead vigorously, and smoothed his forelock. “I’ll take you for a ride sometime. If you like?”

  “I would love that. Although King looks a bit much for me to handle.”

  “Oh don’t worry about that, I’ve got just the horse for you. Her name’s Merry. She’ll be perfect, she’s right over here.”

  Kristoff crossed to the other side of the stable, opened the stall door and slipped through; he whistled softly. A small, white mare nickered to him and walked over for a scratch.

  “See?” He grinned up at her.

  Katie gasped, clapping her hands together with glee.

  “She is beautiful! Oh, I’d love to ride her. Merry, what a wonderful name for her.”

  Kristoff looked pleased. “She’s yours, if you want her.”

  “Really?”

  Katie’s eyes filled with tears. Her very own horse. She couldn’t quite believe it.

  “Katie, dear. Are you in here?” Mrs. Hutchin’s voice echoed through the stable.

  “Yes, I’m in here.”

  Katie dashed the tears away with the back of her hand, and turned to face Mrs. Hu
tchins with a forced smile.

  “We’re ready to leave whenever you are. Oh, hello Kristoff, sorry to interrupt. Thank you so much for including us in your lovely celebration.”

  Kristoff slid from Merry’s stall into the corridor and grinned at Mrs. Hutchins, closing the door behind him. “Don’t mention it. Good evening Mrs. Hutchins.”

  He nodded at Katie, who turned to leave. “Good evening Katie. Thank you for your company this evening. I hope you’ve had a nice time.”

  “Good-bye Kristoff. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. But I have to say, I think my favorite part of the evening was getting to meet your gorgeous horses.”

  As she walked from the stable, she turned back for one last look at Kristoff standing beside Merry, her pretty head hanging over the door of the stall watching Katie’s departure. The sight sent a shiver of emotion through Katie’s tired body. If Kristoff had no intention of marrying her, why would he give her a mare? It seemed too cruel for a man as kind as he was to offer a gift he had no intention of giving. Katie couldn’t help wondering again as she climbed into the wagon, what her future might hold. If only she could find some kind of certainty to cling to.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next day dawned late, with grey skies keeping the countryside bathed in a pre-dawn light. Katie rose early anyway, unable to sleep any longer, and pulled a letter from beneath her pillow. It was from Hannah and had arrived with yesterday’s mail. Katie had been so excited to see it sitting on the mantle downstairs when they returned home from the party. She had said her goodnights quickly and scurried upstairs to open and read it in private. It didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know, since Hannah had no doubt posted it the same day, or soon after, Katie left Boston. But one paragraph in the scrawl of letters had stood out to her and sent a tremor of loneliness through her body.