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“A week at least,” he replied hastily.
No doubt, he loathed that he might have to answer to anyone. “A week? Why so long?”
“Because we only drive the cattle fifteen miles a day so they don’t lose weight,” he said in an overly-patient tone, as if she were a petulant child. “It’ll take us a few days to get them to the train station a couple towns over, and then we have to corral them and negotiate a price. I’m hoping the price didn’t drop, but I won’t know for sure until we get there. If it has, we may wait a couple of days on a gamble for it to come back up.” Garret sighed. “Have you ever used one of those?” He nodded toward the three rifles mounted on the wall by the door.
“Of course I have,” she lied, not about to admit any more weakness.
He raised an eyebrow. “I can hear when you tell the truth, and I can also hear a lie. Get Lenny to show you how to use them tomorrow. Goodnight, Eliza.” Then he stepped around her and disappeared into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Worst wedding night ever.
She rested her hands on her hips, kicked a loose nail on a creaky floorboard, and meandered into her bedroom across the hallway.
All right, so she was pouting a little, but in her defense, Eliza’s life was so terribly different from what she had expected.
Chapter Four
Eliza woke from a fitful sleep to the sound of murmured orders, the jingle of harnesses, and the rooster, which seemed to have an irrational need to crow continuously at the first gray light of dawn. One of the men yelled at the unknown someone who’d taken the last buttered biscuit, and wood slamming against wood reverberated as boxes of supplies were loaded into the back of the wagon. The men were preparing for the drive at dawn, and they weren’t being quiet about it.
Her bedroom was at the back of the house and the window here didn’t give the best view, so she hurried into the den to look out the big picture window at the front of the house. This window gave a great view of the bustling activity. A shawl tightly wrapped around her shoulders against the crisp coolness of the morning, she peeked through the window searching for…something.
Garret. Giving orders and tightening the cinch on a big, dark bay horse. The animal was tall and well-bred. The early-morning light reflected off twitching muscles as he stamped his front hoof. Irritated or not, the animal was beautiful.
He flattened his ears testily as Garret finished saddling him, and she snorted. The horse seemed as arrogant as its rider. No less an animal would have done for such an unapproachable man as Garret Shaw.
He said something low to the others and then trotted toward the house, and she let off a squeak as she realized he was coming inside.
She patted her hair into place and pulled her green shawl more tightly around her shoulders to cover the sleeping gown she wore.
Heart racing, she opened her door just in time to see him come inside. Garret had looked distracted, but at the sight of her, his eyes cleared, and he removed his hat. He cleared his throat and murmured, “We’re leaving.”
Eliza swallowed hard. “Do you need anything?”
“Why would I need anything from you?” he asked brashly.
She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Right. I was just trying to be nice.”
He was so tall, he had to duck under the doorframe, and he stood there like a giant just watching her in the flickering light of the hearth fire.
Garret ran his hand down his lightly-stubbled jaw and then turned to leave.
“Please be safe,” she said. Eliza didn’t know why she’d said that. Only that it felt right. She might not like the man, but she didn’t wish ill on him.
Garret froze at the door, and then turned slightly so she could see his profile. “I think I remember parts of what you were talking about.”
“Which parts,” she whispered.
“You had fiery red hair. Freckles much darker than you have now. We built…” He frowned at the front corner of the den.
“Train tracks,” she murmured.
A flash of a soft look took him before it was quickly replaced by sternness again. “Do as Lenny says. If anyone comes here, you don’t open the door. You hear?”
“I understand.” Although his warning did make her fearful. Did Garret have enemies she didn’t know about?
A shrill whistle sounded from outside.
“I gotta go,” he rumbled.
