CHAPTER
25

Trace felt a twist of both relief and frustration when they rode into his ranch yard late that night in the cold and dark.

The frustration was easy to explain. He should’ve stayed on the trail of those men. They were dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed to run around loose. He’d come close to turning around a dozen times. This felt like that first day when he’d taken Deb and Gwen and the children home instead of going after those vermin.

But how could he keep hunting after what the marshal had said? He had no choice now, just as he hadn’t then. Even so, those men were still roaming free.

He should’ve stood and fought the day before he met the marshal. He should have dodged that grizzly and gone on after them.

No, he didn’t think it was wise to take on three full-grown men without any help except a woman. Granted, a tough woman—or at least a spunky one—yet he didn’t think she had any real skill with that gun. But by the great horn spoon, she had it with her.

So maybe better to say a woman willing to try and be tough.

Still, he could’ve gone after them in the woods, or gone back to the wagon train instead of coming home. He should have demanded the marshal get a posse together. He should have set out hunting. He’d gotten so close when he might’ve attacked just hard enough to break up their gang, drive them away, and maybe leave their herd a whole lot thinner. Instead he’d turned aside from the chase.

As stubborn as the marshal was about doing his job himself, and taking offense at Trace’s offer to help, he doubted the man would form a posse. And the outlaws were mighty good at sneaking, not a bit afraid to back-shoot a man. In fact, they seemed to like it.

So it was easy to understand his being frustrated.

The relief, however, surprised him. He hadn’t known he liked his home quite this much. He suspected he liked it a whole lot more now that he was married to Deb.

“There’s smoke coming out of the bunkhouse chimney, Trace.” Deb sounded deeply impressed, also very tired. “They got it done, and they’ve moved in.”

“I’m glad. Everyone’s got solid walls and a tight roof against the winter.” Trace chuckled for a moment.

“So much work and done so fast and with such a good spirit.” Deb rode for the barn, Trace right on her heels.

“You go on in, Deb. I’ll put your horse up.”

“As if I’m one speck more weary than you.”

Trace figured it to be well past midnight. He had no pocket watch, and he could’ve judged decent by the moon, only the night was overcast, with snow coming down and whipping wind in his face and down the back of his neck.

Stripping leather off his horse, he found fresh hay already pitched into Black’s manger. His men had planned for him. So he went to help Deb and met her emerging from her horse’s stall.

“I got the saddle and bridle off.” She sounded prouder than a mama cougar dragging supper home for her cubs.

Trace went in quick to make sure it was all done, then came right back out, leaving her mare happily munching hay. “We made it home.” He was so tired, his mind wasn’t thinking much past the present moment. He just walked right up to his wife and pulled her into a hug.

With a mild huff of amusement, Deb said, “It’s so nice to know a warm bed is waiting for us.”

The way she said it gave him a little more energy to get on with settling in for the night. He rested one palm gently on her face and, touching irresistibly silky skin, leaned down to kiss her. “You are the finest kind of woman, Deb. I am so blessed to have you for my wife.”

Her light blue eyes, washed gray in the darkness, shimmered. She looked at him so close he felt like she was peering right into his soul.

“I’d have to say the same about you, Trace. The finest man I’ve ever known.” She gave him her warmest smile. “Let’s go in. Gwen will be in a room with both youngsters, so we can go right to bed.”

Deb was turning to walk out of the barn when Trace caught her arm. He had a strange expression on his face. Worry maybe? Nervousness? Or he might just be overly tired.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Do you think . . . that is, will Gwen . . . should we—?” He cleared his throat. “I should probably sleep in the bunkhouse this first night.”

The jolt in her heart surprised her. “You don’t want to sleep with me?”

Trace drew her into his arms again and kissed her. When he eased back this time, he said, “I can hardly stand the thought of being away from you. Last night, just having someone to hold . . . I have always been a lonely man, Deb. Less so in recent years, but having you for my wife has made me realize just how much I’ve missed in not knowing the presence of a woman in my life. Being close to you, I feel like a hole in my heart is healing, a hole I didn’t even know was there.”

“I don’t want to be away from you either, Trace. I think it will do no harm for you to stay with me. We’ll make sure and explain things to Gwen right away. I’m usually up early with the children and see her for a bit. I’ll have time then to keep her from being overly surprised. Come on in with me.”

“I would like that very much.” He took her hand, not even trying to keep the smile off his face, and walked with her toward the house. The night full of wind and snow, his lips still warm from their kiss, his heart full to overflowing.

She gave him a sideways glance and a quick smile.

He was so dazed about getting to join her, he only noticed Wolf when the dog caught him around the pant leg. Almost like Wolf was trying to guide him to the correct place to sleep.

Well, Wolf didn’t know what was what.

Trace followed Deb right into the house. Wolf disappeared into the night before Trace could try to coax him inside. For the first time ever, Trace was warm enough he could almost understand how the critter felt about sleeping on a snowdrift.

Deb considered waking Gwen to tell her the big news. But once in the warm cabin, she was so tired and so deeply chilled, the thought of a celebration was overwhelming.

And there probably would be a celebration. Gwen would be excited for her older sister. There might be some jumping and squealing and giggling—not just by Gwen, either. And that might wake the children up.

And then . . . well, all in all, Deb decided it was best just to sneak in and go to sleep and put all that off until morning. So she didn’t make a sound when she led Trace to the bedroom.

Trace.

Her husband.

Straight to the bedroom!

God bless us all, how drastically things have changed.

A glance inside told her the room was empty. Deb had been sharing with Ronnie. But she’d expected Gwen to take the little guy with her to the bedroom she shared with Maddie Sue while Deb was gone.

The young’uns had slept with them since the wagon train had set out. Between the limited space and the cold in Trace’s old cabin, it’d seemed wise to continue the arrangement.

This cabin was very well built. Utah had laid split-log floors in the room while she was away. Not a single one of them squeaked, but that might be because Deb was floating a few inches off the floor.

She was tired enough and cold enough and feeling blessed enough that she expected to fall asleep fast and deep in her husband’s arms.

She was right about the deep part, but wrong about fast. Trace had other ideas.

Gwen’s scream sent Trace stumbling backward into the bedroom. Looking for protection, he glanced back to see Deb spring up from the covers, get twisted in them, fall off the bed, kick the blankets away and dash forward until she slammed right into his back.

“What are you doing in that bedroom with my . . . my . . . my . . . ?” Gwen ran away.

Maddie Sue cried from the bedroom, and seconds later Ronnie chimed in.

Deb ducked around him and headed for the crying little ones, but Gwen blocked her way. Trace was glad Deb was between him and Gwen because she came charging into the room holding a huge knife, one Trace didn’t remember owning.

“Gwen, what’s wrong?” Deb stepped forward. Trace caught her and held her right in front of him.

“I think she’s noticed there’s a man in her house,” Trace said, firmly behind his bodyguard of a wife.

A moment of dead silence reigned. Well, dead silence except for the howling children and Gwen’s heaving breath.

Throwing her hands wide, Deb laughed. “We got married. Trace and I got married while we were in town.”

“M-m-married?” Gwen’s eyes went from Deb to Trace to the butcher knife. She whisked it behind her back as if afraid he might get the wrong idea.

Or rather get the right idea.

“It’s all right, Gwen. I’m proud to have a sister that’d stab a man to protect Deb.” He leaned sideways and forward to catch Deb’s eye. “We’d be mighty glad to stab someone for you, wouldn’t we?”

Deb narrowed her eyes at him. “Let’s try to stab as few people as humanly possible.”

“Agreed.”

The front door slammed open, and Utah charged in, gun drawn. His eyes zipped from one person to the next. “Who screamed?”

Adam was a pace behind him, still tugging on his coat.

Deb spoke up again. “Trace and I got married. We just told Gwen, and she’s happy for us.”

Utah arched a brow. “That big old knife doesn’t say happy, not to me.”

Gwen marched over to the kitchen table and slapped the knife down with a clatter. Her cheeks pinked up as she said crisply, “I saw a man in the house. I thought it best to arm myself first and talk later.”

“Wise thinkin’, Miss Gwen.” Adam tipped his hat.

Deb rushed into the bedroom and brought out the two sobbing children, one on each hip. Trace took the little boy. Maddie Sue wrapped her arms around Deb’s neck, her legs tight on her waist.

Utah grinned. “Congratulations, you two youngsters. I’m glad we got the house done in time for you to have a decent place for yourselves. I plan to start on the barn today. I keep thinking the snow will stop us, but until it does, I’m gonna keep at it.”

Trace nodded and said, “Thanks. Sorry to cause such a ruckus.” He looked at Deb, who smiled back at him. “And the house looks real nice, Utah.” He stopped and let out a sigh. “I haven’t seen my cattle for days—I’d better ride out and be a rancher for once.”

“The barn’s the largest building we’ll put up,” Utah went on. “So we’ll be at chopping trees for a while. A couple of days, probably. Honestly I’m figuring we’ll be lucky if we get this one up before the weather hits in earnest. I want to be ready so we can put it up fast. A half-standing building would knock over too easy if the winter shuts us down.”

Gwen broke an egg into a bowl with a rather violent crack. Trace exchanged another look with Deb.

“Give me Ronnie and finish getting yourself dressed, Trace. I’ll get to work on breakfast, and Gwen and I can take turns dressing for the day.”

Gwen gasped, looked down at her nightgown, then swiveled to look in horror at the men. She dropped the second egg, shell and all, into the bowl and ran into her room. She slammed the door much too hard.

Deb decided her sister had a point and took both children with her into her room to dress, as well. Good heavens, the men had been right there.

Being married certainly addled a woman’s mind.

As she quickly pulled on her clothes and told the children a very brief version of what getting married meant, she heard the men speaking in muffled voices outside the room. The kitchen door opened and closed, and a few moments later, Trace came into her room.

He was in his longhandles, and come to think of it, at least one of the other men had been, too.

It was not a proper beginning to the day.

And then it got worse.