Montana Bride (22 page)

As Hetty headed to the kitchen, Grace arrived at the bedroom door, wet cloth in hand, and slipped inside past Karl.

In the brief instant the door was open again, Karl heard Griffin say, “I tell you Dennis purposely offset that notch—”

Grace closed the door behind her, and Karl was left with an accusation he couldn’t quite believe. Griffin had already locked horns with Dennis, and there was bad blood between them, which explained why the boy believed Dennis had felled his tree so it would crush Karl. Karl couldn’t fathom Dennis doing something that potentially dangerous, not even as a joke.

But the fact was, Dennis’s tree had come down in the only path Karl had open as an escape route.

Then Karl considered what Dennis would gain if Karl was “accidentally” killed. He would become boss of the project, a role he clearly believed he should have had from the start. That reason didn’t seem good enough for what Dennis was supposed to have done because, if he didn’t supervise this job for Jonas, he would supervise the next one.

On the other hand, if Karl was dead, Dennis would have a clear shot at wooing Karl’s wife. The wife whom Karl had not yet bedded. He didn’t delude himself that Dennis wanted to marry Hetty. She came with the burden of two half-grown children. But he had no doubt that Dennis would take advantage of Hetty’s vulnerability in such a situation to seduce her.

Karl figured that last bit of speculation was his jealousy talking. But he made up his mind to keep an eye on his friend. And to find time to make love to his wife.

As Grace washed the last of the silverware she, Griffin, and Andy had used to eat their supper, she glanced over her shoulder and casually said to Hetty, who was sitting at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee with Karl, “Andy volunteered to stay and help me keep watch over Griffin until midnight.” She set the spoons on the drain board, then turned completely, drying her hands with a towel, and added, “That way you and Karl can catch a few winks before you have to take over.”

Grace could tell Hetty didn’t like the idea, but to her surprise, Karl said, “Sounds fine to me.”

Grace crossed to Hetty to give her a quick hug and said, “See you at midnight.” Then she hurried back to her bedroom before Hetty could change Karl’s mind.

As Grace closed the bedroom door behind her, she turned to the two boys and said, “We’ve got till midnight to figure out a plan.”

Andy had shoved a ladder-back chair next to the bed so he could sit and talk easily with Griffin, who was sitting up with his back braced against a couple of pillows. Grace resumed the place she’d had before she’d left to take the dishes to the kitchen, sitting on the foot of her brother’s bed.

“I’m still not sure I believe you,” Andy said to Griffin. “Loggers make mistakes all the time.”

“I watched him do it,” Griffin said. “He took a long look at Karl before he started cutting. Dennis wanted Karl injured, maybe even wanted him dead.”

“What I don’t understand is why,” Andy said. “Talk in the bunkhouse is that Dennis and Karl are lifelong friends.”

Griffin shrugged. “I don’t know why and I don’t care. All I’m concerned about is keeping Karl Norwood safe. Grace and I don’t intend to become orphans again.”

Grace heard Griffin’s slip of the tongue and glanced fearfully at Andy to see if he’d noticed. He had.

“Orphans?” Andy asked with a quizzical look.

Grace sought a way to cover the mistake, but Griffin simply said, “We kind of finagled our way into this family, and we don’t intend to give it up.”

“How did you—”

“Please don’t ask,” Grace said, cutting him off.

Andy said, “Good enough.” He let the matter drop and turned back to Griffin. “How do you propose to keep Karl safe on the mountain?”

“I figure you can help me with that.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“You could keep an eye on Karl during the trip up and down the mountain if you asked him to walk with you so you can get his advice on different subjects.”

Andy frowned. “Like what?”

“Anything. Logging. Plants. He knows a lot about plants. You could even ask him for advice about how to woo Grace.”

Grace was appalled by Griffin’s last suggestion. “What if Andy doesn’t want to woo me?” she blurted. “Have you thought of that? For that matter, what if I don’t want to be wooed?”

“It’s only pretend,” Griffin said.

“Oh, really?” she snapped. That was even worse.

“I just thought Andy might want to talk to Karl about it,” Griffin said.

She turned to Andy. “Did I miss something? What were you two discussing while I was in the kitchen?”

“Not this,” Andy assured her. “I had no idea your brother was going to say that.” He paused, looked her in the eye, and added, “But it’s not a bad idea. Assuming you have no objection.”

Grace was tongue-tied, completely unable to respond. It would have been awkward to discuss the subject of courting even if she and Andy were alone. It was especially trying with Griffin listening to every word she said. “I have no objection to a pretend romance,” she said at last. “So long as you understand you’re playing a part to keep an eye on Karl.”

“It might be a very short conversation,” Andy said to Grace with a rueful smile. “Karl might not consider me a proper suitor for his stepdaughter.”

Griffin grinned. “Hell, Andy, it doesn’t matter whether you are or not. In fact, Karl will likely spend the time explaining to you why you’re all wrong for Grace. The point is, you’ll be right there if Dennis sets another death trap for Karl like the last one.”

“You seem pretty sure he will,” Andy said.

“That son of a bitch pretends he’s a nice man,” Griffin said. “He’s not.”

“You really don’t like him, do you?” Andy said.

Griffin shook his head, or tried to. “Whoa,” he muttered as he raised a hand toward the knot on his brow. “That was a bad idea.”

Grace jumped off the foot of the bed and rushed to his side. “Are you all right?”

“I’m a little dizzy,” Griffin admitted.

“Why don’t you lie down?” she suggested.

“I’m not supposed to sleep.”

“There’s no reason why you can’t close your eyes and rest.” Grace saw the worry in his eyes and added, “I promise I won’t let you go to sleep, Griffin. Slide down a little,” she urged as she rearranged the pillows under his head. She reached over and turned down the lantern so it wasn’t so bright, and said, “Andy and I will be on the other side of the room.”

“Keep thinking of ways to keep an eye on Karl,” Griffin said as his eyes slid closed.

Grace pulled the covers up over her brother’s chest and tucked them around him.

“Sheesh,” Griffin murmured. “You’d think I was two years old.”

“Shut up and go to—” Grace stopped herself and corrected, “Get some rest.”

She and Andy left Griffin’s bedside for the warmth of the fire that crackled in the stone fireplace on the other side of the room. Grace reached out to put another log on the fire, but Andy beat her to it. Instead of a couple of rockers, a long bench had been placed in front of the fire. Grace settled on the bench and gestured for Andy to join her. With their backs to her brother, if they spoke softly, they could carry on a conversation without being overheard.

“If you don’t want to participate in this charade,” she said when Andy was seated, “say so.”

“I don’t want to see Karl hurt.”

“I’m sure there must be a lot of things you can discuss with him besides how to woo me,” Grace said.

“Nothing as interesting to me.”

Grace was startled by his answer, which suggested he really was interested in courting her. That possibility would have been exciting once upon a time. She was so tempted to let things follow their natural course. But she didn’t want to hurt Andy. And she didn’t want to be hurt herself. Which meant she should warn him off. But what excuse could she give?

Not the truth. Never the truth.

Grace felt Andy’s gaze on her, but she refused to look up from her hands, which were twisted in her lap. “Don’t start hoping for things that can never happen,” she said quietly.

“Don’t shut the door before you see what’s behind it,” he countered.

Grace looked up and felt her breath catch at the intense look in Andy’s blue eyes. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know all I need to know.”

Grace scoffed. “What’s that?”

“You like me.”

It was true, but Grace was reluctant to admit it to him. “So what?”

“So that’s a pretty big deal. Especially since I like you, too.”

“We’re too young to be courting,” Grace said.

“I’m in no hurry,” Andy said. “I’ve got all the time in the world.”

He reached out and separated Grace’s hands and took one in his own. Grace knew she should pull free, but it felt nice to sit in front of the fire next to a boy and have him hold her hand, just like any normal girl her age.

Except, there was nothing normal about her anymore.

“The kittens are growing up,” he said. “You should come see them again.”

“I’ve wanted to come, but my mom’s been keeping me busy in the house. You’re lucky you can hold them anytime you like.”

“No sense getting attached to them. Coyotes will probably get most of them before they’re grown.”

“That’s awful!” Grace said.

Andy squeezed her hand. “Of course, they won’t be able to get out of the loft for a while yet.”

It took Grace a moment to realize Andy was teasing. “Oh, you! How could you scare me like that?”

Andy grinned. “I like to see your green eyes sparkle.”

She yanked her hand free. “Just don’t let anything happen to those kittens before I have a chance to get one.”

“I can see I’m going to be doing an awful lot of guard duty. First your stepfather. And now your kittens.”

“Griffin and I appreciate your help.”

“I’m not doing it for Griffin,” he said as he met her gaze.

Grace rose abruptly. In a voice that was all the more fervent because she was trying so hard not to be overheard by her brother, she said, “Don’t, Andy. Don’t like me. Don’t pay attention to me. Don’t even think about courting me. Time isn’t going to make a difference. What’s wrong with me won’t change. Believe me when I say I’ll never be any man’s wife.”

“But Grace—” he implored.

Grace could feel tears filling her eyes and burning her nose. “Leave. Now. Go back where you belong.”

She expected Andy to argue with her. But he didn’t.

He stood and said, “I’ll keep an eye on the kittens for you. Come and see them when you can.” Then he left the room, closing the door silently behind him.

“What’s wrong with you, Grace?”

Grace turned at the sound of Griffin’s voice. “Were you eavesdropping, you little creep?” She crossed to Griffin, who was leaning up on an elbow in bed, and said, “What’s wrong with me is I don’t appreciate my bratty brother trying to arrange my life.”

“He likes you,” Griffin said in a small voice. “I wanted to help.”

“You can help by staying out of trouble. You can help by not being a nuisance. You can help by keeping your big nose out of my business!”

Griffin sank back down in bed and put the back of his arm across his face to hide his eyes.

Grace saw his mouth turn down and his chest move as though he was crying. Too bad if she’d hurt his feelings. He’d hurt her feelings, too.

Griffin deserved a comeuppance, but Grace couldn’t walk away and leave him alone to cry. They were a team, Grace and Griffin. She needed him as much as he needed her. She would even do the awful thing again if it was ever necessary to keep him safe. That was how much she loved him.

Grace sat down next to her brother, swallowed over the painful lump in her throat, and said, “I’m sorry, Griffin. There are things about me even you don’t know.”

He lowered his arm and looked at her, his dark eyes bleak. “I know what you did to get us here.”

Grace’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

“Lucy told me. She wanted to hurt me. She thought I’d be ashamed of you for what you did. But I’m not, Grace. I love you no matter what.”

She heard Griffin swallow back a sob. Poor Griffin, trying so hard to be a man when he was barely a boy. Grace’s throat ached with unshed tears. Tears were a waste of water. They weren’t going to solve anything.

“Grace?”

Grace relented and bent to take Griffin in her arms. He grabbed her hard around the neck and held her tight.

“I was so scared, today,” he said against her throat. “I thought for sure Karl was a goner. All I could think was how you might have to do that again. What you did. And I threw myself at him, because I don’t ever want you to—”

Griffin sobbed, and Grace hugged him tighter as hot tears slid onto her freckled cheeks.

“It’s okay, Griffin. It’s all over. You don’t have to worry about Karl. After what happened today, he’ll be watching out for himself a lot better than he did before. And he’ll have you and me and Andy keeping an eye on him. Everything’s going to be all right. We’ll never have to go back to that other life. Karl won’t let that happen, and neither will Hetty. We’re safe.”

Griffin sat back and scrubbed at his tears.

“Your nose is running,” she said. “Let me get—”

Before she could offer him a hanky, Griffin swiped his nose with his sleeve.

“That’s disgusting!”

Griffin shot her an unrepentant grin. “At least you know some things will never change.”

“Lie down and shut up,” she said, pulling the covers up over his chest.

“Gladly. Just don’t let me fall asleep.”

He was still a scared child and needed her reassurance. Still needed a mother and was afraid to let Hetty be one. Desperately needed a father and refused to let Karl be one.

“Trust me,” Grace said, brushing at a dark curl on his brow. “I’m here, Griffin. I’ll always be here.”