Chapter 9

9

" W hat in blazes are you doing, woman?" Garrett fumed, clearly angry although his voice was barely more than a whisper.

Swallowing hard, Aundy found it impossible to make her brain and mouth function simultaneously.

Garrett glared at her, irritation oozing from him in booming waves that threatened to overtake her.

"Dressed like a man, dragging around half-dead Chinese immigrants. Are you wearing a gun? What in the h…" Garrett snapped his mouth shut before he said something he'd regret and expelled a sigh. "What exactly is going through that head of yours?" Garrett demanded. He carried the Chinese man to his wagon parked across the street then gently placed him on a pile of sacks filled with feed.

Aundy followed him, grateful the injured man still breathed. "He indicated he didn't want to go to Doc's. I was going to take him home and see if I could help him."

"Just like that, you'd open your home to any stranger? You don't know a thing about him. For all you know, he could be a thief or a murderer. Ever consider that maybe he did something to get beat up like this?" Garrett's anger caused his shoulders to bunch and his jaw to clench.

"I…" Garrett held up his hand, cutting off whatever excuse Aundy planned to offer.

"Don't, Aundy. Just don't. You get on that horse and go home and we'll talk about why you're dressed like that later. I'll see if Ma can help your friend here. If he isn't better in the morning, I'll send for Doc." Garrett walked around the wagon and climbed onto the seat. He watched as Aundy mounted and started down the street before guiding the wagon behind her.

After driving into town for a load of supplies at the feed store earlier in the afternoon, he ran into his friend, Kade Rawlings, one of the sheriff's deputies. They enjoyed dinner at their favorite restaurant, taking time to catch up on news.

Garrett started home when he noticed Bell tied to a hitching post around the corner from a saloon. Genuinely hoping he was mistaken, he parked the wagon and walked over to the horse, confirming it was, in fact, Bell.

Since the only person the persnickety horse would let ride her was Aundy, he began searching for his neighbor. Curious as to what brought her to town on a Friday night, he was surprised she rode the horse instead of using the buggy.

Garrett went into every respectable business that was still open then ventured to the saloon, wondering where Aundy could have disappeared.

Relieved he didn't find her in the drinking establishment, he went back outside and made another trip on foot through downtown, trying to think of anywhere she might be. Concerned, he hoped she was at the church. He started back to the wagon to head that direction when he noticed a cowhand help a drunken Chinese worker down the street. He didn't think anything of it until they neared Bell.

The horse, who didn't tolerate any strangers and refused to let a man ride her, rubbed her head on the man's arm while the two stopped by her side.

With each step that drew him closer to the duo, Garrett felt something in his gut twist tighter and tighter, concluding the cowpuncher had to be his spirited neighbor. Convinced his suspicion was accurate, terror washed over him at what could have happened to her if anyone discovered her disguise. The terror quickly gave way to anger at her putting herself in danger whether she realized it or not.

Garrett knew it was Aundy when the cowboy bent down and laced fingers together to make a step for the Chinese man. Men just didn't have curvy backsides like that or look so graceful in their movements. When she glanced at him with those beautiful blue eyes, he knew he was right.

He felt like turning her over his knee and paddling her attractive posterior. Instead, he caught the Chinese man before he could fall to the ground, carried him to the wagon, and somehow heard himself say he was taking him home to Ma instead of to Doc or the sheriff's office.

As he watched Aundy ride Bell with a straight spine and her head uplifted, he had no idea what she'd been thinking.

Why in the world was she dressed like a man and how on earth did she come to have a beaten Chinese man in her care?

He supposed he'd get the answers to his questions soon enough.

As they neared the lane that led to Nash's Folly, Aundy dropped back to ride beside him.

"Garrett, I'm sorry, but I'd rather not go to your house looking like this. I don't want to upset Nora." Some little part of her had died the moment Garrett figured out who she was. It was one thing to be dressed like a man when no one knew she was really a woman. It was an entirely different matter for Garrett to see her dressed that way, knowing the truth.

As much as she tried to deny it, she wanted to look nice when he was around. She knew she wasn't beautiful, but something about seeing him smile at her with his silvery eyes glowing like liquid metal made her feel feminine and attractive. The very last person she'd want to see her dressed like a man was Garrett Nash.

He'd not only seen her, but also seen right through her guise. She'd have to ask him sometime how he so easily figured out who she was. Right after he started speaking to her again.

"Fine," he said, pointing a hand down the road toward the Erickson farm. "Get yourself home and be prepared to tell me all about your little adventure later. And don't you ever try something like this again. You hear me?"

Since he was already fuming, she let her temper rise, too. She didn't appreciate the way he bossed her around, especially since her trip to town resulted in finding a herd of sheep to purchase. That was the whole point of her adventure and she was inordinately pleased with her successful efforts.

"I appreciate your assistance, Mr. Nash, truly I do. However, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm a grown woman with a mind of her own, a strong constitution, and no man to answer to. Don't feel the need to give yourself the job because I'm not looking to fill the vacancy!"

Aundy gave Bell her head and took off down the road.

Stunned by Aundy's outburst, Garrett watched her ride away, unable to formulate a reply even if the infuriating woman had stayed to argue with him.

A chuckle worked its way up his chest and out his mouth as he turned the wagon toward home. "She is something else," Garrett muttered to himself. He would probably never again meet anyone quite like Aundy Erickson in his lifetime.

Reluctantly admitting he may have been a little high-handed with her, he couldn't help it. Anytime he was around her, he felt an unreasonable need to protect her, to keep her safe and sheltered. Only Aundy wasn't the type of person to want protection. She was strong and resilient and, as he discovered, a bit of a free spirit.

Although he didn't approve of her dressing like a cowhand out for a night on the town, he had to acknowledge she did do a good job of posing as a man. If he hadn't been so curious about the horse's reaction to her, he wouldn't have thought twice about how she looked. Bell's friendly greeting made him realize there was only one person the persnickety mare would allow that close.

Garrett stopped the wagon at the end of the front walk. He set the brake, jumped down, and ran inside the house to let his parents know they were about to have unexpected company.

Nora hastened to prepare a bed and J.B. hobbled to the door, holding it open as Garrett carried the Chinese man inside.

An hour later, Nora declared the man badly beaten, but thought he would be fine with some rest and care. He had a few cracked ribs, numerous cuts on his face, and he'd have a doozy of a black eye. Other than looking like someone used him for a punching bag, he'd make a full recovery.

The man stirred and looked around with the one eye that would open. Nora assured him he was safe and offered him a drink of water. After taking a sip, he settled back down and went to sleep.

"I'll sit with him for a while." J.B. took a seat on the chair near the bed. "Nora, honey, go on to bed and rest. You'll no doubt have a full day of doctoring our guest tomorrow. I can take the night watch."

"I can sit up with him, Pops," Garrett said, watching as his dad leaned back in the chair and stretched out his leg.

"So can I," J.B. said with a smile. "Go on and put up the wagon. I can take care of things here. You say you found this fellow on the street outside the saloon?"

"Yep." Garrett left out the part that he was on the street outside the saloon with Aundy. That portion of the story he'd take to his grave.

"Wonder who worked him over and why?" J.B. asked, not expecting an answer.

Garrett shrugged his shoulders then went outside to unload the feed and put away the wagon. Tom was still in the barn, so he helped put away the load and offered to brush down the horses when Garrett said he had something he needed to do. Quickly saddling Jester, he rode off at a fast clip. He'd never be able to sleep if he didn't talk to Aundy.

Although he was mad at her for behaving so recklessly, he still wanted to make sure she arrived home in one piece. He wondered how she'd explain her outfit to Dent or one of the hands if they still happened to be out working when she arrived home.

He hurried up her lane then slowed the horse to a walk, stopping outside the front of the house. Looping Jester's reins around a post near the fence enclosing the yard, he took the porch steps in two long strides and knocked on the door.

A light was on in the front room, indicating Aundy remained awake.

When no sound was forthcoming, he knocked again. He debated between going home or walking around back to the kitchen when the door suddenly swung open. Lamp light surrounded Aundy as she greeted him wearing a blue robe that matched her eyes.

"Garrett? Is everything okay?" She stepped back so he could walk inside.

Without responding, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close while toeing the door closed. Her hair fell in a golden tumble to her waist and smelled faintly of roses.

She held herself stiffly until he rubbed his hands up and down her back. He felt her soften against him.

Before he let sense overrule desire, he yanked off his gloves and tossed them on the nearest chair then took her face in his hands. Slowly, he brushed his work-roughened thumbs over her cheekbones, gazing into her eyes and getting lost in the warm blue depths.

He lowered his head to hers, intending to give her a swift, chaste kiss. Heat exploded between them at the touch of their lips. His ability to think vanished as he repeatedly pressed his mouth, hard and hungry, to hers. When her arms slid around his neck, he drew her even closer and deepened the kiss.

Garrett felt lost to everything except the woman in his arms, the woman who fit there so perfectly. He admired her spirit, appreciated her fine figure, enjoyed her laughter, and liked her caring heart. What he felt now, though, was so much more.

He felt passion and, if he cared to admit it, soul-deep love for the girl who kissed him with every bit as much yearning as he kissed her.

Aundy finally pulled back with a ragged breath, eyes wide in delighted wonder. She'd promised herself she would never get involved with another man, but her feelings for Garrett were more than just involved.

Involved meant there was care and concern, maybe friendship and fun.

The wild currents of longing swirling inside her were so strong they made her bones ache. The emotions Garrett stirred in her were much, much more than she ever imagined feeling for anyone and most definitely beyond being merely involved.

"Garrett, I… you…" she said, unable to think with the sensational tingle of his kisses still riding her lips. She couldn't believe he'd kissed her. Or that she'd kissed him in return.

Never, not once, had any kiss ever made her feel like her heart would pound right out of her chest. Her stomach felt light and her knees weak while she scrambled to regain the ability to have a coherent thought. How could one kiss, one magnificent kiss, affect her so?

She glanced at Garrett and noticed his hard breathing while his eyes filled with an intense light. He looked ready to reach for her again.

He couldn't possibly be interested in her. Someone as handsome and charming as Garrett Nash could have his pick of women. There was no chance he'd set his affections on a plain, sturdy girl who was too stubborn and independent for her own good.

Irritated as she snatched her thoughts back together, she reminded herself that she did not intend to join her life with another man. Not even one as attractive, strong, and amazing as the one who'd just kissed her so ardently.

Drawn to him by something beyond her ability to resist, Aundy unknowingly focused her bright gaze on his lips, leaning enticingly closer.

Garrett groaned and buried his hands in her hair, taking her lips with his again.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Garrett said when he finally lifted his mouth from hers. He tossed his hat onto the chair where his gloves had landed and raked a hand through his hair. Boldly staring at Aundy, he wanted to wind her silky tresses around his hands and feel her body close to his again. If he did, though, he couldn't promise to let her go. No matter how badly he wanted to, he wouldn't hold her that close again, at least at that moment. "I wanted to make sure you made it home, that you were fine."

"I'm perfectly fine, as you can see." Aundy took another step back from Garrett. She needed to put some space between them before she succumbed to the desire to be in his arms again. "You shouldn't be here this late. It's not proper."

Garrett laughed and gave her a pointed look. "Says the woman who dressed as a man and went places no lady should."

Aundy had the grace to blush although she kept her back straight and held his gaze.

"How about I drink a cup of your tea and you tell me what adventure led you to finding our Chinese friend?"

Aundy led the way to the kitchen where she turned up the lamps, made tea, and took a plate out of the refrigerator. Generously sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on what looked like flat pancakes, she rolled each one into a tidy bundle then handed the plate to Garrett.

"What's this?" he asked, studying the unfamiliar dish.

"Lefse. It's Norwegian," Aundy said, sitting at the table with a cup of tea. "Try it, you'll enjoy it."

Garrett took a bite and his eyes lit with pleasure.

"What did you call it?" he asked, devouring his first piece and starting on a second.

"Lefse. It's made with potatoes and flour, mostly. My grandmother made the best lefse." A wistful look passed over her face and, for a moment, she drifted in her memories.

Garrett cleaned his plate then took a drink of tea, waiting for Aundy to explain her evening's actions.

When she quietly sat sipping her tea, he decided she wasn't going to volunteer any information.

"Why did you dress like a man?"

"Because no one will give me the information I want when I ask them dressed as a woman." A spark of defiance flashed across her face and settled in her eyes.

"Fair enough. Where did you go?"

"I went to the saloon around the corner from where I tied Bell."

"You went to the saloon." Garrett digested that information and found it gave him heartburn. "What did you do at the saloon?"

"I walked up to the bar and asked the bartender how to get to the Underground." Aundy took a sip of her tea. She nearly choked when Garrett smacked the top of the table with the flat of his hand.

"You what!"

She cleared her throat and sat a little taller in her chair then leveled her gaze to his. "I asked how to get to the Underground."

"Why in blazes would you want to go there? It's no place for a lady like you, Aundy. Not at all." Garrett stared at her as if she'd taken leave of her senses.

"So I discovered," Aundy said, remembering the things she'd seen and heard, wishing she could block the memories from her mind.

Garrett attempted to calm down so she'd keep talking. He drew in a few deep breaths before he continued. "You asked the bartender and he gave you directions."

"I suppose you could call what he said directions, although I wasn't sure at first I'd ever find the end of the corridor and come out anywhere. It cost me two bits to get that piece of information," Aundy said with obvious disgust. "I had no idea there was a city beneath the city, so to speak. I think I even saw a candy shop down there."

"Yeah, you did." Garrett sincerely hoped that was all Aundy saw. "You found your way there, then what?"

"I got close enough to several groups of men to listen to their conversations, but didn't have any luck in finding what I was looking for, so I went into a saloon and ordered a sarsaparilla. I was standing at the bar when one of the women who worked at the establishment began conversing with me."

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he imagined the look on Aundy's face when one of the saloon girls sidled up next to her, thinking she was a man. "You mean one of the working girls propositioned you?"

The amusement on Garrett's face fanned the flames of her temper. "I didn't see anything amusing about the situation then or now. It was quite unsettling and disturbing."

"I'm sure it was." Garrett buried his grin behind his cup.

"I suggested she move along and she asked me what I was doing in the saloon. When I told her I was looking for information, she pointed out a patron who turned out to be most helpful. I concluded my business and tried to work my way back up to the street, but by then I found myself completely turned around. I kept walking and ended up in a corridor that took me to a set of stairs. I tripped over the injured man on the top step," Aundy said, absently rubbing her shoulder.

When she bathed after removing her disguise, she couldn't help but notice the bruise already forming on her shoulder. It ached and throbbed. The door probably wouldn't have done much damage, but the fact that wretched Ashton Monroe squeezed it like a piece of dough compounded the problem.

Garrett stood from his chair and walked around the table, pulling down the edge of Aundy's robe and gown until it revealed a large bruise. She slapped at his hands and voiced her disapproval of his actions, yanking her clothing back in place.

Although he forced himself to step back, he really wanted to pull her clothing down and cover the discolored skin with soft kisses. What he'd seen of Aundy's creamy neck and shoulder, beyond the bruise, made his temperature spike and muddled his thoughts.

He regained his seat and raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"I hit the door pretty hard." Aundy glared at him, miffed he bared her bruise and made her skin tingle at his touch. With no idea what he was trying to do to her, she sincerely wished he'd stop. She could barely keep her thoughts together with him sitting across the table, let alone when he put his hands on her bare skin. A part of her wished he'd do it again.

"Then…?" Garrett prompted.

"I couldn't just leave him there. What if whoever beat him came back? What if he was truly about to die? Although, I suppose if he was, he wouldn't have been able to get up and walk with my help," Aundy speculated as she spoke. "When I said I could either take him to Doc or home with me, he chose me and you know the rest of the story."

"What, may I ask, was so important it required you to don men's clothes, go places no respectable woman should go, and endanger yourself in the process?" Garrett asked, clearly upset with her behavior.

"I wasn't in any danger. You said yourself I'm a pretty good shot and I wore my gun. It seemed to me if you didn't cause trouble, you could stay out of trouble." Convinced she handled herself well, she didn't know why Garrett was so vexed.

"So you agree that Mr. Chinaman, who is right now sleeping in a room in my parent's home, is trouble. That he did something terrible resulting in him being beaten so badly it will take weeks to fully recover."

The calculating stare from his steely gray eyes was completely unsettling.

Determined not to squirm in her seat, Aundy shook her head. "No, I don't think he did anything to get in trouble, but I don't know that for a fact. You know what I meant, though."

"Dang it, Aundy. What if one of them decided to pull a gun on you? Were you prepared for a gunfight? Or a fistfight? Even worse, what if one of those men down there found out you're a woman? There's no telling what would've happened to you. You have no idea what some of them are capable of." Fear tightened his chest again as thoughts of what might have happened filled his head.

He reached across the table and grasped Aundy's soft fingers in his rough callused hands. "Please promise me you'll never do that again."

Aundy didn't want to promise anything. She didn't think she'd ever again have a need to dress as a man or venture beneath the city, but she didn't like the way the promise conceded some of her freedom.

However, at the look on Garrett's face, a look that made her heart quicken and her stomach flutter, she released a sigh. "I promise."

"Thank you." Garrett squeezed her hands before letting them go. "Now, what information was so important you couldn't just ask me or Pops?"

"I could have asked you, but I needed to do this on my own, Garrett. You and your family have been so good to me, taken such good care of me. I need to stand on my own two feet. I can't depend on you for everything. If I'm going to run this farm, I need to learn to be self-sufficient."

"You are one of the most stubborn, hard-headed women I've ever met, Aundy Erickson." Garrett ran a hand through his hair, sending the dark locks into a state of complete disarray. His movements made Aundy want to run her fingers through it as well. "Your ability to be self-sufficient would never come into question. If you need help, ask for it. We're more than happy to give it. You've been through so much since you've arrived here and handled it all in stride. After growing up in the city without any rural background, you're going to need some help. Never hesitate to ask."

"I know, but I've imposed on all of you too much as it is." Aundy felt tears prick the backs of her eyes. She would not cry. As jumbled as they were, surrendering to her emotions wouldn't help prove she could care for herself and Erik's farm. Her farm.

"You've never imposed on us. Ever." Aundy was so obstinate. He couldn't recall ever meeting such a stubborn, headstrong woman. She made him want to… Thoughts of what he really wanted to do made his blood zing through his veins. He refocused his attention on why she went to the Underground. "Regardless of all that, what information were you hoping to find?"

"I wanted to buy something and no one would talk to me about it. Dressed as a man, I didn't have a bit of trouble making the deal."

"What did you buy?" Garrett tried to think of anything Aundy would have purchased in the Underground that could possibly be beneficial to the farm.

"I don't think you're going to like my answer." Aundy didn't want to tell Garrett about her sheep. He'd been quite vocal when she and J.B. were discussing the pros and cons of raising sheep the other day, about how much he disliked the "stinky little boogers," as he referred to them.

"What did you do?" Garrett pinned her with his silver gaze.

"I made arrangements with a man to buy something he wanted to sell."

Garrett's patience was nearly exhausted. "Which was?"

She hesitated, taking a deep breath before answering. "Sheep."

He let out a whoosh of air and sat back in his chair. Blinking his eyes twice, he was sure Aundy couldn't have said what he thought she did.

"Did you say sheep?"

"Yes," Aundy whispered, staring down at the cloth covering the table.

"Smelly, nasty, bleating little sheep?"

"Well, I don't know about the smelly, nasty, or bleating part, but yes, I did agree to purchase sheep."

"Woman! What are you thinking? Did you sign papers, make payment? Is the deal final?"

"Not yet. Mr. O'Connell was under the impression I was helping a new widow. I asked him to call Mrs. Erickson Monday morning to make arrangements for the sale."

"O'Connell? The whiskey drinking Irishman?" Garrett yelled as his eyes flashed fire. "Why he'll…"

Aundy reached across the table and clapped a hand across his mouth. "Shh. You'll have Dent and the boys in here if you don't quiet down. Not only should you not be here, especially with me dressed like this, but I'm not quite ready to impart the knowledge to them that we'll soon be raising sheep."

"Fred will quit." Garrett stated a fact Aundy already knew. He'd made it perfectly clear that he had no interest in tending sheep, so it was a gamble she had to make.

"I've taken that possibility into consideration."

"Did you also take into consideration that a lot of the neighbors around here hate sheep? Not just dislike them, but hate them. I know many people in the area raise sheep, but our neighbors are all wheat growers and cattlemen. If you think about it, there isn't one little lamb to be found from here all the way to Pendleton. You could be asking for a lot of trouble." Aware of the stubborn set to Aundy's chin, he knew she had no intention of listening to reason or changing her mind.

"I'll handle any problems should they arise."

"Did you at least talk to Dent about your plans?" Garrett asked. Aundy had lost her mind. Sheep. Of all the things she could have done, decided to raise or grow, she had to pick sheep.

This was going to be disastrous.

"Not exactly." Aundy knew it would have been a good idea to involve Dent in her decision, but she was sure he, like Garrett, would do his best to dissuade her from buying the sheep and she'd already made up her mind.

"Look, Aundy, I think you…"

Aundy placed her hand over Garrett's mouth again and fought the tremor that shot from her fingers up her arm then spiraled down to her toes. The feel of his lips beneath her fingers made her wish he'd take her in his arms and kiss her again. She didn't want to think about why she wanted, needed, him to hold her. She just knew that she did.

"I'm buying the sheep, Garrett. It's my decision to make and mine alone. If it's a mistake, I'll face the consequences." Aundy yanked back her hand like she'd singed her fingers and jumped to her feet. "I do appreciate your concern and you riding over here to make sure I arrived home without incident. I'd be happy to take care of the Chinese man if you think he could be moved."

"Leave him be. It gives Ma someone to fuss over." Garrett wondered how Aundy's fingers could spark a fire that burned from his lips all the way to the tips of his toes. He could hardly function with his thoughts so centered on her lips and his desire to kiss them until neither of them could think.

He needed to leave before he got any more out of line. He walked to the front room, slipped on his gloves, and grabbed his hat.

"Will you at least let me go with you to sign the paperwork with O'Connell?" Garrett asked as he stood with one hand on the doorknob.

"Perhaps," Aundy said with a teasing smile. Despite her best intentions to stay away from Garrett, she couldn't stop her fingers from brushing softly over the little cleft in his chin that had intrigued her from the first time she'd noticed it. "If you promise to let me make the deal and behave yourself."

"I always behave." Garrett surrendered to the temptation to wrap his arms around Aundy's waist. He pulled her against him and breathed of her scent again, getting a tiny whiff of Bay Rum. That cooled his desire as he reminded himself of the heap of trouble she could have gotten herself into with her shenanigans. He kissed her cheek, placed his hat on his head, and opened the door. "You didn't say if I had to behave well or like a wild ruffian. I'll assume either will do."

Aundy laughed as Garrett hurried down the steps and across the yard to where his horse waited. She watched him mount Jester in the gathering darkness, waving at him before closing the door. As she blew out the flame in the lamp, she hoped her decision would turn out to be sound.

If not, she'd soon know.