Hell for Leather Page 11

  “You’ve caused a lot of trouble.” He wanted to curse until he ran out of words, but what came out of his mouth was pitiful.

  Bernice ignored him as she munched on a peppermint. “What do you want with me?” She directed the question to Sabrina.

  “We’re worried about you surviving the winter out here by yourself.”

  “My pa’s coming back.” The tone of the girl’s voice suggested even she didn’t believe it.

  “Honey, your pa passed on a while ago. We tried to find you after it happened, but we couldn’t.” Sabrina looked so empathetic, even Cade felt it.

  Bernice shook her head. “He said he’d be back.”

  “Come with me to town and visit his grave. Then we can talk about where you want to live.” Sabrina put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, which only proved to demonstrate the enormous height difference between them.

  “I don’t want to go to town. The men are mean and stupid.” She cast a baleful glance at Cade.

  “Don’t you lump me in with all the asses in town.” He crossed his arms on his chest. “From what I’ve seen only Antonio gets my vote as a gentleman.”

  “Is that the Mexican in the saloon?” Bernice crammed another peppermint into her mouth. Although she pretended to be tough, she was still young.

  “Yes, that’s him. I want you to come with us, but I won’t force you.” Sabrina scowled at Cade. “Nor will Mr. Brody. We only want to help.”

  “Yeah, well I can take better care of myself than he can. The man don’t even know how to boil turnips.” Bernice snorted, drawing a chuckle from Sabrina.

  Cade couldn’t exactly be insulted. After all, the girl was right. He’d moved out to the wilderness without knowing how to make anything but trouble.

  “Let’s just get to town before the snow really starts blowing. I don’t know about you two but I don’t fancy being up on a horse in a blizzard.” He turned away, feeling just as mixed up as he was before they found the girl.

  Quiet female murmurs followed behind him as he walked to the cabin. The snow was getting heavier by the minute, thick flakes that sat in piles on his shoulders. The storm grew in intensity while the wind’s howling began to resemble a pack of wolves.

  By the time he got to the cabin, his fingers were completely numb. Same went for his toes. He’d spent time in snowy climates before but this was ridiculous. This was mountain snow, and it was as fierce as he was.

  The cabin was marginally warmer, but he hadn’t put more wood on the fire so what was left was not much more than ashes. He cursed heartily then reached into the wood bin for some kindling. The girls were just coming into the cabin, looking like the ghosts Jeremiah claimed to see. The snow had turned them both lily white.

  “I’ve got to get the damn wood for the fire.” He walked outside without waiting for a response. Time was short and he needed to get both of them out of his house and out of his life, as fast as possible.

  Sabrina stared at the closed door and wondered how she’d gotten so involved with the man. He was obstinate, sarcastic and childish, not to mention intolerant and frustrating. Yet, damn it all, she still liked him, a lot, perhaps even a whole lot more than she should, bordering on the other “L” word.

  Maybe it was due to the fact that although he showed the world a cold, calculating man, he also had done a lot she considered kind and considerate. He blustered and complained, yet he’d still saved Jeremiah’s life and had come into Eustace to ask Sabrina’s help to save Bernice.

  Those were not the actions of a man who didn’t care about anyone or anything, no matter how much he protested. Even as her stomach tumbled along with her heart with confusion, she led Bernice over to the fire and stirred the embers and the kindling.

  “It’s not very warm in here.” The girl gestured with her arm. “He dirtied it up pretty good though.”

  “What do you mean?” Sabrina looked around and just noticed the clothes lying on the chair, the ashes on the floor and the dirty pot on the stove.

  “Old Louie kept this place neat as a pin. After he passed, I kept it nice.” She turned a hard gaze on Sabrina. “Until that gunslinger came here and ruined everything.”

  Sabrina’d had no idea the child had been living in the cabin. No wonder Cade felt as if he owed the child something, or perhaps he hadn’t known he’d kicked her out of her home. Then the word gunslinger echoed in her head again. She’d had a feeling Cade was hiding something dark, and Bernice had seen what Sabrina couldn’t.

  “What makes you think he’s a gunslinger?” she asked as casually as she could, her heart pounding in anticipation of the answer.

  “He looked like a greenhorn to me, wearing britches that were too short, and so I helped him a bit with water and vegetables. He’s an ungrateful bastard.” The girl curled her upper lip in an expression so much like Cade’s, Sabrina was hard-pressed to smother the chuckle that threatened.

  “But what about the gunslinger part?”

  “Oh, that. Well, you see, the first day he got here, he walked out to the woods and buried something. After he left, I dug it up to see what it was.” She shrugged as if spying on folks was commonplace. “It was a sack with some fancy black clothes and a pair of pistols with worn grips. And I seen him move like a gunslinger, reaching for a gun that ain’t on his hip no more. Mark my words, that man is a gunslinger.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, a sage in the guise of a thirteen-year-old girl.

  However, everything she said made sense. All the questions Sabrina had about his behavior, attitude and actions were answered by Bernice’s observations. Many men came west to make a new life for themselves, and Cade was apparently one of them. She had no doubt that Cade Brody was a made-up name, something pulled from nowhere and pinned to his chest to pretend he wasn’t who he really was.

  Was she angry? No, but hurt and confused for certain. Sabrina had feelings for the man, and she didn’t even know who he really was. An inner voice argued that she knew exactly who he was inside, which was all that mattered.

  “Where in tarnation is he? It’s colder than a well-digger’s ass in here.” Bernice apparently knew much more than how to survive in the wilderness alone. Being a miner’s child, she’d picked up many colorful expressions.

  It had been more than ten minutes since Cade had gone out for wood. The girl was right, where was he? Sabrina headed for the door, hoping he’d be on the other side of it, but he wasn’t. She glanced back at Bernice.

  “Please stay here. Can you do that for me?”

  Bernice rolled her eyes. “I reckon, but I ain’t made up my mind yet about going to town with ya.”

  “That’s fine, but for now I need to know you’ll stay here where it’s safe. I don’t want to worry about both of you.”

  The expression on the girl’s face made Sabrina realize no one had ever worried about her before. Sabrina’s heart pinched at the thought, and she vowed Bernice would never feel that way again.

  “I’ll be back in a minute or two.” Sabrina stepped outside and the snow pelted her face. She pulled her scarf tight around her head and chin, covering her nose and mouth until she could breathe without a mouthful of snow. When she turned toward the woodpile at the back of the cabin, she saw nothing but white. Cade was gone.

  Chapter Eight

  Sabrina’s mouth went dry beneath the wool scarf. Where was he? The snowstorm was picking up speed and intensity by the second. He’d already admitted he was not experienced in the outdoors, so where in the world would he have gone?

  She called his name as loud as she could, but the wind threw it back at her. There was no way he’d hear her unless he was standing right beside her, and even then it was doubtful. She attempted to look around, trying to figure out where he was, when a brief reprieve in the wind revealed the lean-to behind the corral. Of course, he likely went to check on the horses.

  With a last glance at the cabin to find Bernice looking through the window at her, Sabrina nodded and headed t
oward the lean-to, holding onto the corral railing as she went. It was a good thing he’d built it or a body could get lost in a storm. It seemed as if it took an hour to reach the lean-to, but it was probably two minutes. She stepped under the eave, grateful to be out of the wind. Cade’s horse was munching hay and staring at her with his great brown eyes. Her palomino huddled behind the big bay, doubtless enjoying being close to a large, warm body.

  Sabrina rubbed their noses. “Hey, you two, where is that man, hmm? Have you seen him? Because when I find him, I’m going to paddle his behind for making me worry about him.”

  A pained chuckle came from the corner. “You’re worried about me?” Cade’s question ended on a gasp.

  She ran back out into the snow and around the horses until she got to the dark corner where she’d heard his voice. He lay in a crumpled heap, blood streaming from a gash on his forehead.

  “Sweet heavens, what happened?” She tore off a piece of her petticoat and pressed it against the wound.

  He hissed but didn’t pull away. “My stupid horse decided I was here to take his new girlfriend away so he kicked me, hard.”

  “Where did he kick you?” She wanted to check him for broken bones before moving him. Clara had taught her some healing techniques, but Sabrina was definitely a novice nurse.

  “In the lean-to.”

  She sobbed out a chuckle. “Not funny, Mr. Brody. Let me help you back into the house.”

  “I don’t know if I can stand. I tried it a minute ago and that’s when the side of the building decided to hit my head.” He shifted on the ground. “But my ass is nearly frozen through so I guess I need to try again.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not a fragile creature, Cade. I won’t break.” She swallowed the rush of caring feelings at the thought that he was truly hurt and might have died if she hadn’t come looking for him. It confirmed her suspicion that what she felt for him was much more than like. “Can you hold this cloth to your wound for me? I need both arms free.”

  “Sure thing, darlin’. I’d like you to wrap your arms around me.” His speech was slurring, a sure sign he’d hit his head quite hard.

  With quite a few grunts, curses and splinters, Sabrina got him up and walking toward the house. She took a lot of his weight, grateful the snow was only a few inches deep, which made their slow progress a bit easier. More than once, he stopped and hung onto the corral for a few moments, before she urged him to walk. Again it seemed the cabin was a mile away, and each second she felt him shudder in the cold made it that much more urgent to get him inside.

  Just when Sabrina thought they’d never make it, Bernice appeared and tucked herself under Cade’s right arm, forcing him to let go of the corral fence.

  “What are you doing, girl?” he managed to get out.

  “Helping, you idiot.” She was surprisingly strong and lifted some of the burden off Sabrina. “Now walk.”

  Although they seemed to bring out the worst in each other, Bernice and Cade had some kind of unspoken bond. Sabrina sensed it running beneath their snide chatter. Something bound them together, gave them an understanding of each other. She didn’t pretend to understand it, but was thankful for it.

  When they finally made it to the door, Bernice got it open and they side-stepped Cade inside. By then he’d passed out, a dead weight of at least one hundred seventy pounds. Sabrina had never been so glad she was a big-boned girl.

  “Let’s get him to the bed.”

  They practically dragged him to the bed, panting and grunting. Sabrina’s muscles screamed in protest with every step, but they made it and managed not to drop him like a sack of potatoes. He laid there, vulnerable and looking pale beneath the frozen blood on his face. Sabrina’s heart twisted at the sight. Oh boy, she was definitely in trouble.

  “I’ll go get some wood. We’ll need to get him undressed so I can examine him for wounds.”

  Bernice’s blonde eyebrows shot up. “You want to get him naked?”

  Sabrina’s cheeks heated. “You never mind about his clothes for now, just get his boots and hat off. Make sure the bandage stays on his head and I’ll do the rest.”

  “If’n you say so.” Bernice glanced down at the man with doubt. “I hope his feet don’t stink.”

  Sabrina left the cabin, almost absurdly appreciative of the cold snow as it pelted her hot face. She carried four armfuls of wood to the door and then added four more just in case. By the time she had finished that chore, she was marginally more in control of herself.

  When she opened the door with an armful of wood, Bernice met her halfway and took some of the wood from her. “’Bout time you got back. I was ready to conk him on the head again to get some peace and quiet.”

  “You need a firm hand and some well-deserved spanking, little girl,” Cade snarled from the bed.

  “I was only gone ten minutes.”

  “It was twenty.” Bernice shut the door against the snow and wind. “I know because I counted every second.”

  “I was stocking up on wood in case the snow decides to stick around for a while.” She dropped the wood in the box next to the fireplace. “I need to get more.”

  “Let me do it. You take care of the gunslinger.” Bernice headed for the door before Sabrina could answer.

  Cade had to have the last word. “Stop calling me that.”

  Sabrina shook her head and took a moment to remove her coat, scarf and boots. Just being in the same room again with him made her stomach tighten and her skin tingle. She was no green girl, but her body sure acted like one.

  “I’m going to put some water on to boil.” She needed to focus on helping him and not on her discomfort, or whatever it was.

  “If you need bandages, there’s a few rags in the bucket near the sink.” Cade was at last helpful.

  Familiar chores soothed Sabrina and by the time the water was hot, she was calm again. Bernice had brought in two nice stacks of wood and was currently sitting on the one chair at the table glaring at Cade. He had his eyes closed, apparently unconscious again.

  Sabrina checked the rags, surprised to find them clean, then took the lot of them and a basin of hot water over to Cade. The cut on his forehead was superficial, much to her relief. Head wounds tended to bleed a lot, and she was glad for the cold since it helped stop the flow of blood. Without any medicines or even a poultice, the best she could do was keep it clean and wrap a bandage around his head.

  She opened his shirt as gently as she could, wincing when she saw the clear hoofprint on his ribs.

  “That bad?” His beautiful dark eyes regarded her for the first time without the mask of indifference he usually presented.

  “It’s ugly.” She pressed the area around the wound. “Does it hurt?”

  “Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course it hurts.” Back to his usual crotchety self, Cade hissed like a snake.

  “I think it’s just bruised ribs. I can bandage them for you, which will help, but I’m afraid they’re going to hurt for a while.” She ran her fingers on the smooth skin.

  “You know if you keep that up, I’m going to think you want to be more than my nurse.” He pierced her with a glance that could boil water by itself.

  Her heart stuttered even as she continued to touch him. “I’m just checking your wounds. That horse has a hard kick.”

  “Not nearly as hard as Bernice’s mouth.” He shot a glare in the girl’s direction.

  Sabrina reached up and turned his chin back to her. “Don’t worry about Bernice. Let’s get you bandaged up so we can get you in to town and see Clara.”

  He made a face. “She doesn’t like me.”

  Sabrina laughed. “Clara can be like a porcupine at times, but she’s a wonderful person and a good healer.” She gestured to his shirt. “Can you sit up so we can wrap your ribs?”

  He took a deep breath then nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Each grunt of pain, each tightening of his muscles, shot through Sabrina’s body too. She knew every moveme
nt she made to help him actually hurt him. It wasn’t as if she were trying to cause him harm—on the contrary—but she couldn’t help feeling guilty. When she finally tied off the bandage, he sucked in another pained breath and sat back.

  “Jesus, I need a drink.” His voice was hoarse, full of numerous kinds of pain. He laughed without humor, then gasped. “Shit, that hurts.”

  “I’m sorry, Cade. You don’t have any laudanum here, do you?” She knew it was a slim hope, but she felt like they had to do something.

  Bernice appeared next to the bed. “I can rustle up some willow bark for tea.”

  Sabrina wiped her face, surprised to find tears on her cheeks. “I didn’t know you were a healer.”

  Bernice shrugged. “Just something I learned from a woman that once lived with my pa. It helped when I hurt my hand one time in the chute.”

  That statement told Sabrina the girl had helped her father with the mine, regardless of what he’d told everyone. Not only that, but she’d been hurt. One day Sabrina would have to talk to the young woman about it, but not now. Cade’s health was more important.

  “I don’t know about you going back out in this snow.” Sabrina glanced at the window, at the snow blowing past horizontally.

  “It grows right at the edge of the forest. I can get some and be back in ten minutes. Better than either one of you did outside.” Bernice might have sounded boastful any other time, but Sabrina believed every word she said. The child had survived on her own for almost a year.

  “I can’t stop you, but I can ask you to be careful. Take the lantern with you if you’d like.”

  “She can just shoot fire from her mouth if she needs light.” Cade smirked at the girl.

  “Very funny, gunslinger.” She grabbed her too-large coat and headed for the door.

  “Stop calling me that.”

  “Gunslinger.”

  Sabrina rolled her eyes at them since they were acting like a pair of five-year-olds with their taunting and name-calling. “Bernice, the sooner you go, the better. I don’t think the storm is going to wait for you.”