A Walk In Heaven (Volume 1) (The Grayson Brothers) Read online

  Urging her horse closer, she studied the animal until she recognized it as a calf. Why was it this far from the others? Now, how could she get the stubborn animal back to the herd? Although Joshua had taught her how to rope, she hadn’t been able to practice since. She suspected she needed him beside her, guiding her hand the whole time.

  No! She wouldn’t think that way. He was as rude and overbearing as she’d surmised on the first day she’d met him. She’d catch the calf if it were the last thing she did.

  Dark gray clouds overhead hid the sun, and the wind picked up, turning the air chilly. In fact, the temperature had dropped so drastically that she could see her own breath in the air. A voice inside of her told her to ride back to the house to get help, but she argued. She was this close to the animal, so she should at least try to get him and bring him back.

  Unhooking the rope from her saddle, she positioned it in her hands the way Joshua had shown her. She swung it above her head, praying she’d catch it the first time. The animal was busy eating so he didn’t seem to notice her. It would be easier to catch him while he stood still than riding her horse and trying to rope him.

  She held her breath and let the rope fly… And missed.

  Unfortunately, this alerted the calf to her presence, and he took off in a run. Grumbling, she kicked the horse and rode after him, but she knew roping the fool animal wasn’t going to happen while she was in motion. Hard to believe, but that little animal was faster than she expected. If she could somehow direct him back to his herd, maybe she wouldn’t have to rope him at all. But the harder she tried to steer him in that direction, the further away from the house they rode.

  The first drop of moisture touched her nose. She paused only long enough to glance at the sky. Thick black clouds hovered everywhere, and the rain felt cold enough to turn to snow very soon. The trees bent from the fury of the wind, turning the air bitter.

  Still, she didn’t expect the storm to pour down on her yet. Surely she had a good hour before anything dire happened. She’d try one last time to get the calf before hurrying back home.

  * * * *

  Joshua pulled the sheepskin collar around his neck and rode toward home. Heavy snowflakes fell around him, thickening by the minute. When the weather was like this, there wasn’t much he could do around the ranch. He suspected this storm to drop at least five inches on the valley if not more. That only meant he’d be cooped up at home for a few days, which was something he didn’t want to happen. He worried Careen still wanted to continue the discussion they had started a week ago, and he wasn’t ready. In fact, he tried to tell himself those moments in the barn had never existed.

  As he neared the house, his mother stood on the porch gazing toward the east. She wrung her hands against her middle until she saw him. She broke into a run and flew down the porch steps. Joshua’s heart sank. Something was wrong.

  “Josh, oh, praise the Lord, you’re here.”

  “What is it, Ma?”

  “It’s Careen. She went out riding an hour ago, and she hasn’t returned. I’m so worried about her. This was her first time riding by herself so far from the house, and she wasn’t wearing a very thick coat.”

  Inwardly, he cursed. This was not good at all. “Grab me a lantern, and I’ll fetch more blankets from the stable.”

  He hurried with his task and met his mother a few minutes later as she handed him the lantern. “Do the others know about this?” he asked.

  “No. Pa and your brothers haven’t returned to the house yet.”

  “I’m sure they will soon. Tell them where I’ve gone.”

  “Josh, if the storm gets too bad and you can’t find your way back to the house, stay at the old cabin near the east side of the land.”

  “Not to worry, Ma. I’m sure I’ll find her and we’ll be back soon.”

  “God be with you,” she called after him as he rode away.

  Gritting his teeth, he seethed thinking about Careen. That confounded woman. Why on earth would she ride so far from home – and in the storm? Didn’t she have a lick of sense? She wasn’t used to the snowstorms up here, and she’d freeze to death quickly.

  He rode hard, and the storm worsened. He called Careen’s name several times. Along with the silence, his hopes dropped. God wouldn’t allow her to die. Not like this. Joshua said a silent prayer he’d locate her. Alive.

  He stopped and looked around. The snow swirling quickly around him made him fearful. Soon it would be a blizzard. How could he find her then?

  “Careen?” Since he couldn’t see her, he’d have to let his ears find her. If only she would call out. But would he be able to hear her through the whistling wind and the snorts of his horse?

  Joshua rode a bit further and stopped again. “Careen? Answer me!” Oh, Lord, he prayed, please let her hear.

  Just as he was ready to give up and ride further, he detected a noise. It sounded like…

  “Careen,” he yelled, praying she’d call out to him again. Thankfully, he heard the weak cry once more. She was closer than he’d thought. He dismounted and crept toward her voice, holding his lantern high. The snow fell so thick and so fast it was harder for him to see, but her yellow coat shown like a beacon in the night. She sat underneath a tree with her knees pulled against her chest.

  “Careen,” he shouted and ran to her.

  She held out her arms and he picked her up and held her against his chest. Her body shook violently. Just as he’d suspected, she wasn’t used to this kind of weather. He’d have to get them to the cabin quickly before hypothermia set in. By the expression of frozen fright on her face and the noise from her chattering teeth, he didn’t have much time.

  He situated her on his horse before mounting, then cuddled her against his chest. The cabin wasn’t too far away, and he trusted the Lord would guide them. Joshua knew the Almighty had gotten him this far, because there was no way he would have found her without His assistance.

  Within minutes, Joshua spotted the cabin and small shack used as the shed. He had barely stopped Socrates before dismounting and rushing inside, not bothering to tether his horse as he held Careen against him. Joshua placed her on the cot before hurrying to the potbelly stove. He’d never started a fire so quickly as he did this time, but once the flames licked up the sides of the stove, he returned to Careen and lifted her in his arms again, bringing her closer to the fire.

  Positioning them on the floor, she huddled against him as her blank stare stayed on the fire. Pale face and nearly blue lips, had panic clutching his chest. He needed to get her warm, now!

  He ran his palms up and down her legs and over her arms to help bring warmth back into her body. He rubbed his cheek against hers, slowly feeling the heat on her skin. “Can you feel the fire, Careen?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Her teeth weren’t chattering as badly, so he knew she’d started to feel the heat. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and whispered, “Thank you, Lord. Thank you for seeing us to safety.” As Joshua ended his prayer, he brushed his lips across Careen’s forehead, not knowing why he did this, just that it felt as natural as seeking warmth and shelter.

  Her breathing steadied and her body relaxed. “Sweetheart, I need to leave you for a minute to put Socrates in the shed before he freezes to death. Is that all right?”

  She tilted her head back and met his gaze. “Yes.”

  He shifted her on the floor directly in front of the stove with her knees against her chest. Her damp hair stuck to her frosted clothes. He stood and shrugged out of his sheepskin jacket. “Careen let’s take off your coat. It’s wet and if you wear it any longer, you’ll catch your death.”

  Nodding, she unfastened the buttons with shaky fingers. He assisted until the garment was removed, then he draped his own coat around her shoulders. “Are you going to be all right now?”

  She met his stare and nodded. “Oh, Joshua. I…I…don’t know what happened to your horse.”

  “Socrates?”

  “No. Th
e one I was riding earlier.”

  He stroked her cold hair. “Not to worry. Our horses know how to get back to the ranch, I promise.”

  “If…you say…so.”

  Quickly, he moved outside to tend Socrates. The wind picked up, and the temperature had dropped considerably. Night blanketed the land now, along with the thick snow.

  Once his horse was out of the elements, Joshua hurried back inside. Careen sat where he’d placed her, but her body wasn’t shaking. That was a good sign.

  She locked her gaze on him and offered a weak smile. “Thank you for coming to find me.”

  “Of course. I couldn’t leave you out in that snowstorm.” He stood by the fire and rubbed his palms up and down his arms, bringing back warmth to his body. “What happed to your horse?”

  “I had dismounted in order to get closer to the fool calf, and something spooked the mare and she ran off. By that time, the snow was falling harder, and I knew I had to find my way back to the house on foot.” She shook her head. “When the storm got to the point I couldn’t see ahead of me, I sat by the tree and prayed someone would find me.” She touched him. “I’m glad it was you.”

  The appreciation in her expression unnerved him and he stepped away from the fire. “Are you hungry?”

  “I’m famished. But is there food here?”

  “Pa likes to keep all of his cabins stocked for situations such as this, so I’m sure I can find something for us to eat even if it is just jerky.”

  Against the wall stood a small cupboard. He opened the doors and glanced at his choices. Unease settled in him, and he frowned. Very little food was stocked. His pa would have had more here, so why were the cupboards bare now? “Looks like we’ll get to feast on jerky…and more jerky. Oh, here are some preserved apples that Ma canned before winter set in. How does this meal sound to you?” he asked.

  “It sounds wonderful.”

  Careen’s voice was so close, he spun around and nearly collided with her. Still wearing his sheepskin jacket with her hands in the pockets, she stood beside him. Color had returned to her cheeks and lips.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Better, thank you.” She managed a smile. “Tell me, how did you find me? I thought for certain I would die out there.”

  “No, I wouldn’t have let you die.” He winked. “But truthfully, I know the Lord’s hand was in this. He is the one that led me to you.”

  Tears spiked her eyes. “I prayed harder than I’ve ever prayed before.”

  “I was praying as well, and I know the Lord heard my family’s prayers.”

  “Well, I’m grateful for your help.” She touched his hand. “You saved my life, which is something I’m surprised you chose to do since you’ve been quite upset with me lately.”

  He wished she hadn’t brought that up. In his desperate search to find her in the snowstorm, he’d forgotten about it. Then again, staying away from her for a week helped his anger subside. “I’m not upset anymore.” He turned toward the cupboard and grabbed the jar of apples. This was a good start. At least they wouldn’t starve.

  Not yet, anyway.

  When he turned around, she went back to sit in front of the potbelly stove. He moved next to her on the floor and sat. “There are some beans in the cupboard, so I’ll put them in a pan and soak them overnight. At least we’ll have something for dinner tomorrow.”

  “Do you think we’ll still be here tomorrow night?”

  “There’s a possibility. I doubt this storm will let up soon. In fact, I’ll be surprised if it has stopped by tomorrow evening.”

  Groaning, she covered her hands over her head. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Your family will be very worried, I know it.”

  “No. They know me, and they know I’m a survivor. Besides that, they trust the Lord.” He bit into his jerky, watching her closely. “So, Careen, you mentioned earlier about leaving your horse to help the calf. What calf are you talking about?”

  She dropped her hands and met his stare. “There was a stray calf, and I wanted to bring it back to the herd. I tried roping, and when that didn’t work, I thought I could guide it back. I didn’t expect the storm to hit so fiercely. I thought I had plenty of time to return.”

  “A stray calf? How did that happen? We fixed the fence last week.”

  “I don’t know. I just know the calf was by himself.”

  He grumbled and moved from the floor to stand by the cot. “Something doesn’t add up, but I’m not going to find any answers for a few days anyway, so I’ll worry about it later.”

  She stared back at the fire in silence. Soon, her fingers wandered to the ribbon holding her ponytail together and tugged it free. She laced her fingers through her damp hair, pulling it over her shoulder toward the fire. Her russet tresses were so very pretty. Never had he thought a woman’s hair was pretty, but Careen surprised him at every turn. Since meeting her, he found himself thinking strange thoughts all the time.

  The longer she tried to avoid his eyes, the more he knew they had to talk. They had to finish what they’d started a week ago – either the conversation about Matthew, or the kiss. It didn’t matter which because right now he knew he couldn’t stay with her in a storm, sheltered from the world, and not talk.

  “Are you warm now?”

  She glanced his way briefly, nodded once, then returned her attention to the fire.

  “Good, so you won’t mind coming over here and sitting with me?”

  This time when she met his eyes, her forehead creased in uncertainty. “Why?”

  “Because we have a lot to discuss, and I want you closer.”

  “What do we have to discuss?”

  “Several things.” He leaned his back against the wall. “I want to finish what we started a week ago in the barn.”

  Her eyes widened and red bloomed in her cheeks, moving throughout her face quickly. He held in a laugh, knowing exactly what she was thinking. The kiss…or almost kiss. He didn’t know if he’d ever kiss her, but teasing was nearly as fun.

  Joshua motioned his hand toward the empty space beside him. “So, are you going to sit by me? It’ll be hard to finish what we started in the barn with you sitting on the floor.”

  Uncertainty flickered across her expression while her face grew redder. He should put an end to her torment, but he just couldn’t. As he waited for her decision, she took off his coat.

  Finally, she rose off the floor. In three small steps, she sat on the cot beside him, but not too close. Her hand brushed by his. Inwardly, he groaned. Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea after all.

  Her body remained stiff for a few moments. She took a deep breath and turned. She was so pretty, he didn’t know if he could keep from wanting to pull her in his arms. This was definitely not what he’d planned. His mood changed quickly from humorous to serious. And her gaze had softened the longer she stared into his eyes.

  I’m a dead man!

  Chapter Nine

  Careen gulped and closed her eyes. This can’t be happening. Why did Joshua want to kiss her? He’d been so upset at her this past week that he went out of his way to avoid her. Now he wanted to finish what they’d started?

  Perhaps he’d had time to think about it and realized he wanted this as much as she did. But really…did she want this? He confused her and she couldn’t think straight. The attraction was strong, but she didn’t want to have these kinds of feelings for him – or anyone, right now.

  She swiped her moist palms down her trouser legs, suddenly wishing she wore a dress instead of men’s clothes. Maybe she’d feel a little more feminine right now. Yet it suddenly didn’t matter how she dressed, she’d have these jumbled thoughts regardless of her attire.

  Taking a deep breath for courage, she opened her eyes and looked at Joshua. Tenderness gleamed from his gaze, melting her resolve quickly. His eyes had always made her lose her mind.

  So why did he wait to make his move? He sat staring at her as if he expected her to do something first. She couldn’t
do that! Yet he seemed content to study her. He lifted his hand and caressed the locks of hair hanging on her shoulder. Careen’s heart did those crazy little flip-flops, and butterflies dancing in her stomach were in competition to see which one could make her breathe the fastest.

  She cleared her throat and faced him fully. “I suppose I should explain myself…you know, about what happened a week ago in the barn.” Shrugging, she laughed lightly. “You were right when you accused me of watching you all day. I had been. I’ll admit that I didn’t appreciate the feelings of jealousy I experienced when Miss Checketts held your attention. I couldn’t stand the thought of that woman with you and your children when she hadn’t even talked to the twins.” Her mouth turned dry and she licked her dry lips. “Perhaps the thought of kissing you shouldn’t have even entered my mind, but—”

  “Say no more.” Joshua scooted closer and took her in his arms. One hand bracketed her face as his thumb stroked her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t… We shouldn’t… But heaven help me, I can’t stop from wanting this to happen.”

  He bent his head and his mouth captured hers. She hitched a breath from the suddenness of the kiss, but within seconds relaxed to the way his mouth moved across hers. She clutched the front of his shirt and held on for dear life, knowing she never wanted to let go now.

  Joshua pulled her closer for more of his exciting kiss. His large palms drew small circles on her back, relaxing her further. Surrendering, she wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled against him.

  His kiss was so tender – yet the urgency in the moment had her wanting more. He suckled her top lip, then her bottom, then deepened the kiss. Never had any man brought such pleasure to her, but then no man had kissed her like this – as if his very soul cried out to be loved. The very way hers was doing at this moment.

  He was the first to break the incredible spell he’d put her under, but only to move his lips over her cheek and to her ear.