Eliza Turley

It had been nearly a week that KC had been working at the Turley ranch. Eliza had found him quite the distraction from the very first day. She watched him work, chopping firewood and stacking it on the back porch. He was a powerful man. His broad shoulders swung with the motion of the ax. His slim waist swiveled, winding up for the next swing. He carried the logs like they were feathers. Eliza watched from the kitchen window as she cleaned the dishes, then from the window near the dining table as she darned socks. The hair in the front of his face fell out of the queue that held the rest behind his neck. Oh, my!

KC was a fine example of masculine beauty. Lance had been handsome—hadn’t he? She couldn’t imagine so now. He paled by comparison in every way.

When there were no more socks with holes, she had to start on the chores that would take her outside. She hoed a few rows in the garden, fed and watered the chicks in the brooder pen, then gathered eggs from the hen house.

Eliza tucked the basket in the crook of her arm and walked out the gate of the chickens’ roosts, latching it behind her. She’d left her bread rising when she’d started the outdoor chores. She hoped her bread wasn’t too big, or she’d have to punch it down again and wait. She swung around the corner and ran face-first into—KC—again.

He smiled and said, “Our lips need to stop meeting like this.”

Eliza’s cheeks warmed. The first mistaken kiss was clearly his fault. This one might have been hers. “I didn’t mean . . . the corner was . . . I’m sorry I . . . That was a mistake.” She quickly looked around, hoping no one had seen it. Then she said, “That was not a kiss.”

“Are you sure? It seemed like it might have been.”

“Of course I’m sure. I think if I’d kissed you, I’d know it.”

“Yes, ma’am, you would have.” He doffed his hat at her and continued walking the way he’d been going.

Eliza checked her basket of eggs. They were fine. She, however, felt more than a few cracks in her chest with bursts of excitement. She bustled toward the back door. A few feet away, she stopped. What did he mean by that?

Curiosity bubbled up. How would it feel different if she meant to kiss him or for him to kiss her? Her stomach fluttered, but she shook it off. It was silly to think about such things. They hardly knew each other. Still, she recalled the strength in his arms as she watched him work. She sighed. She imagined she’d feel protected and warm in those arms.

Eliza made sopapillas for lunch with the ham and beans. The time had come and gone, and KC hadn’t come in to eat. Kailin and Rayna ate and went to collect asparagus from the banks along the stream. Ellis rode out to Dorothy’s house, and still, KC hadn’t come in. She’d waited to eat when he did, but maybe he wasn’t coming in today.

She sat on a chair and pulled a sopapilla to her plate, poking a hole in the top and dribbling a generous amount of honey inside. She rolled her eyes at the first bite of the doughy pillow, closing them as she savored the taste.

“I think I’d like to have a little of that, Eliza.”

She opened her eyes, and KC stood in the doorway. “I’m late, but if you don’t mind, I’ll eat with you.”

“I’d like that. Have a seat.” Eliza got up and filled a bowl with beans and turned to see KC casually sitting in the chair next to hers, one arm stretched over the back of her chair.

As she approached, he sat up and moved his arm. She felt a little disappointment—how silly she was being. “What brought you to Colorado, Mr. Murray?” she asked, setting the bowl in front of him.

“I wanted to see the Rocky Mountains. I heard so much about gold and silver, I thought I’d come take a look for myself.”

Eliza sat back down in her chair. “Do you want to be a prospector?” She liked eating a meal, just the two of them.

“I don’t think so, but I’m undecided about what to do at the moment.” He ate a bite. “These are good. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You’ve been such a help to our family. I’ve watched you working. To anyone else, it might look like you own the place. We’re blessed to have had you stop by the very day when we needed someone.”

“You watch me work?” KC’s spoon was suspended above his bowl, and his gaze was on her. The corner of his mouth tipped up at one corner.

Eliza couldn’t tell if he was happy or surprised. She didn’t know how to answer his question. “Yes,” would be the truth, but she couldn’t make herself say it.

KC’s arm went over the back of her chair again. He leaned close to her and looked at her lips. Oh, my. She felt like she was sitting next to the fireplace.

“You have a little …” His finger reached up and touched her chin. “… honey right here.” He smoothed it away.

Eliza could barely breathe. She sat very still as did KC. She could see him thinking, his eyes searching hers. He had implied that she would enjoy kissing him very much—at least that’s the way she’d decided to understand his earlier comment. There was no time like now. They were alone and likely to be for some time. She smiled softly at him, tipped up her chin a bit, and waited.

On Sunday before the church meeting, Eliza joined a group of women in the churchyard, catching just the last part of a conversation.

“They had proved up on their land just last week, and now they’ve sold and left,” Mrs. Shaw said.

“Who left?” Eliza asked.

“The Henshaw family. They lived over by Lake City. The Watkins Spice lady came by my place yesterday and told me about it. She said that half a dozen of her regular customers along this byway have just up and gone. Most of them even left all their furniture when they abandoned their homes.”

Although Lake City was a three-day trip by wagon from Creede, there were homesteads strung all along that way. With tall mountains and swift rivers in the canyons, the homesteads wandered along the most passable route from here to there. A trickle of worry slipped down Eliza’s spine. This problem wasn’t just in Creede. She hadn’t made it to Bad Egg Baldwin’s home to check things out, but she was determined now to see if there was anything that would give a clue to the mystery.

She sat through the service, barely hearing the sermon. She hadn’t heard of homesteaders to the east or south having this problem. Maybe there were some. She’d have to talk to people after the meeting to see. And the question she wanted to ignore but couldn’t—when would trouble come to their place? The thought made her stomach lurch and the muscles in her back tighten. How would she keep her family safe until her parents returned? And maybe after that?

Eliza was drawn out of her worrying by hearing soft snickering down the row. When she turned toward it, she saw KC looking at her cousin. Kailin sat between her and KC with Rayna on her lap. The toddler was imitating everything Reverend Theodore did, which KC seemed to enjoy. If the reverend pounded his fist on the pulpit, Rayna pounded her dimpled fist in the air. Like she was his mirror, she leaned forward and scowled. She pointed back at him accusingly. She crossed her arms, and she shook her head with mock rage just as he did. When the reverend pointed to heaven, so did Rayna.

Eliza had to look away several times to keep from laughing aloud. She could honestly say that she’d never enjoyed a service more.

Each week, the congregation stayed seated while Reverend Theodore walked to the door followed by Mr. Anders. She didn’t know why the reverend treated Anders with deference. The man was rich but hardly pious.

This week, Benita jumped out of her seat at the front of the church. “Theodore. Wait for me,” she called.

“Sit down, Benita. I’ll make my processional alone.” His voice was low but harsh. The reverend didn’t even look at her as he spoke out of the side of his mouth.

“I’m your wife, and this is the only time we’re seen together, and I have a new dress. I’m going to walk with you.” Benita scrambled past the people still sitting while Theodore seemed to hurry his steps to leave her behind.

Mr. Anders shook the reverend’s hand before he left. Reverend Theodore stood at the door, chatting with the rest of the people leaving. Benita inserted herself into each conversation.

Without first greeting the Turley family, the reverend said, “Perhaps if you can’t control the child, she is not of an age to be part of a congregation.” He sniffed and raised his chin.

Benita just smiled hugely beside him.

Eliza wanted to punch the man, but she felt KC lean past her shoulder, closer to the man, and in a soft voice, said, “‘Forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of heaven.’ We’ll see you next week, Reverend.” He took Eliza’s fist and tucked it into the crook of his arm.

She could feel herself shaking. Maybe she’d been closer to hitting the man than she’d thought. As much as she liked the idea of being on KC’s arm, she didn’t want to take a step. It was one thing for him to know she had a limp and another thing for him to feel her waddle beside him.

He tugged her arm a little, and they began walking together. He chuckled. “I think my favorite might have been when Rayna pretended to read the Bible and slammed it shut.” She thought he might be trying to distract her. His eyebrows raised, and he laughed again.

Eliza liked the sound. She found herself smiling at the fresh memory, too.

Ellis walked up beside them when they reached the wagon and said, “KC, would you mind seeing the women home on the buckboard? I’d like to borrow your horse.”

Eliza noticed Ellis’s eyes flicking to his left. When she looked that way, she saw Dorothy Moore watching them carefully.

“I don’t mind at all. When will you be back to the homestead?” KC asked.

“An hour. Maybe two.”

Kailin handed Rayna to Eliza and climbed in the back. “You’ll miss Sunday dinner,” Eliza said.

“Save me some. I’ll eat later.” Ellis reached for Merlin’s reins.

KC pulled a braking-pole out of the rear wheels and set it in the bed. “Not likely,” he answered before Eliza could protest. “That’s the price. I get your portion. Take it or leave it.” He took Rayna from Eliza’s arms and handed her to Kailin. Then he assisted Eliza into the seat, seemingly without expecting an answer from Ellis and hopped up beside her. “Be good to my horse.”

“Where is he off to?” Kailin asked, pointing at Ellis as he led the horse away.

“He’s … well, he’s going to visit our neighbor,” Eliza answered.

“You mean he’s sparking Dorothy,” Kailin said.

“Sparking. Sparking,” Rayna chanted.

“Where did you hear that word?” Eliza asked Kailin. Did Eliza really want to have a conversation about courting while sitting next to KC? “Never mind. Don’t use it again.” Eliza hoped her parents moved their Uncle Morris’s family back soon. She wasn’t sure how to take over all their mother did.

The wagon rolled down the road to Rayna singing, “Sparking. Sparking. Sparking.”

Eliza was grateful when Kailin turned Rayna’s attention to counting her fingers, then her fingers and toes. Apparently, the girl’s shoes were now off. She’d deal with that when they got back to the ranch.

“Speaking of sparking,” KC said very closely to Eliza’s ear. Chills raced down her neck.

“We weren’t.”

“Well, yes, everyone in this wagon was except me, and I felt left out, so I thought it might be a good time to jump into the conversation.” He gazed steadily at her.

His words had started out with an edge of humor but were spoken in a hushed tone by the end of the sentence. Goose flesh broke out on her arms. His gray eyes, rimmed with midnight blue, seemed to darken the longer Eliza and KC gazed at one another silently.

“Tell me one of your dreams, Eliza.” He looked at her earnestly.

Her mind ran through several—to have a home and family, to be adored by her husband, to live a long and happy life. She smiled and chose another one. “I want to keep bees on my own homestead.”

“Bees? Why beekeeping?”

She hadn’t expected him to be interested. Lance had never even asked her what she wanted. “I love honey. Everything tastes a little better with a bit of it. I used to think my mother made wheat gruel for breakfast as a punishment, but one day, I drizzled a little honey on it, and just like that, it was better. Just a little in the mix when grinding sausage—.”

“Better?” KC supplied.

Eliza nodded. “I put a little on the fried potatoes while they’re cooking. You can’t taste it, but they’re better,” Eliza said, and KC repeated the last word with her. “And no one knows why,” she finished.

“Honey is your family secret for recipes.”

“Not my family’s. Just mine.” She felt compelled to look from his eyes to his mouth, his lips, full and—she found herself wishing for a few holes in the road that would jostle the buckboard just enough that their lips would touch accidently again.

He leaned noticeably away from her.

She looked down, exhaling a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Where their legs had been rubbing alongside each other’s, there was space and cool air now. When she looked up at him, his eyes darted away from her.

Three times she had thought he might kiss her, and three times he hadn’t. Her heart shriveled a little. While it was true she did want to kiss him, it wasn’t just the kiss. She honestly was coming to admire him. She knew now that he must not feel the same way.

The rest of the ride continued in an uneasy silence except for the counting behind them—one-teen, two-teen, three-teen, fourteen.

He brought the horses to a stop in front of the Turleys’ home. “Do you think they’ll stay on once we get inside?” Eliza wondered what he was talking about until he added, “The shoes?”

She shook her head.

He jumped from the seat. “Come on, Rayna. I’ll carry you in.”

The toddler squealed, and Eliza was sure she would have had the same response. But what had happened? She had thought he wanted to kiss her, and she felt the same.

Rayna threw her arms around KC’s neck as he took her into the house. She giggled and chanted, “Sparking. Sparking.”

Eliza followed behind them. “Oh, dear.”