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Truman waved his pipe toward the cabin. “That little darling of yours is going to cause a stir. Plenty of men might try to steal her right beneath your nose.”
“I’m aware of that,” Cole admitted.
“So,” Truman said questioningly, “are you a smart man or a fool?”
Cole let his gaze rest on the cabin for a few minutes. He wasn’t exactly sure himself. “Maybe a bit of both, but most of all I’m lucky.” His confidence was as strong as ever—it had just shifted, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.
Truman laughed. “I’d agree.” After a few more puffs on his pipe, he knocked out the embers and sighed heavily. “There are a few women up here, but not wives. The gals up here are looking to make it rich, just like the men. They don’t plan on panning gold, though. They plan on finding it in other places, mainly in men’s pockets. You best keep a close eye on the one you have there.”
“I plan on it,” Cole answered.
Truman changed the subject then, started talking about where the most color had been found and a variety of other topics. After more than an hour, when the merchant said he had to turn in, Cole agreed and made his way back to the cabin. The bed hadn’t grown. He and Maddie would still be crowded, but Truman was right—she was as much a sought-after commodity as raisins were. Trig had known that, too, which was why he made Cole promise to look out for her—and return her to Seattle safe and sound.
Maybe he wasn’t so lucky after all. Downright foolish might be a better description.
Once inside the cabin, Cole went to the stove to add a log, but a whisper came across the room.
“Please don’t. It’s plenty warm in here.”
It was rather toasty. He shut the little cast-iron door and moved to a chair to remove his boots. “You covered the window.”
“With one of the blankets off the bed,” she answered. “We won’t need it. Don’t really need any of them.”
“Sleeping in the tent got us accustomed to the cold.” Hot from head to toe—but not because of the woodstove—he crawled onto the bed and stretched out.
“There’s a blanket at the foot of the bed if you need it.”
“I’m fine,” he answered, folding his arms beneath his head.
“Me, too.”
“Good night.”
She didn’t reply; instead, the mattress shifted as she rolled onto her side. The cabin still wasn’t dark enough to hide the glimmer of her eyes. “How much gold do you think we’ll find?”
“As much as we need,” he answered, trying to keep his gaze on the ceiling.
“How do you know that?”
“Because we won’t stop looking until we do.”
She went quiet again, before finally asking, “How will we know when we have enough?”
“We just will,” he said. “Go to sleep now, Maddie. We’ll want to get an early start.”
He’d thought she had gone to sleep until she asked, “Why’d you let Truman think we’re married?”
“To keep you safe,” he answered without thought.
“Thank you.” Then, soft, like a feather falling from the sky, her hand landed on his chest and stayed there long after she whispered, “Night, Lucky.”
Lady luck did live in his corner, and would continue to. He’d just never known what that meant before, or the penalties she carried. Bringing a woman into the goldfields was one thing, but being responsible for her another.
Maddie made it easy, though. She was good company and carried her own weight, even when he suggested she let him take care of certain things. Guilt still churned in his stomach for what he’d said to her back on the Mary Jane, about being a weight around his neck. She’d been let down before, left—the fear he’d seen in her eyes earlier proved that, which was a whole different problem. He was the last man who should be responsible for her. He’d left his mother and Rachel when they’d begged him not to, and there was nothing to say he wouldn’t do it again.
The big logs used to build the cabin hadn’t had time to warm, and as soon as the little stove went cold, so did the darkened space. Chilled, Cole bent down to pull the blankets over both himself and Maddie, and tucked her tight against him when she snuggled closer. He fell asleep then, as if it had been impossible until his arms were around her.
* * *
Warm and content, Maddie fought waking up. She’d thought sleeping next to Lucky in a tent on the hard ground, had provided her with hours of wonderful rest, but snuggling in his arms in a soft, comfortable bed, well, she doubted even clouds in heaven could compare. Gliding her hand all the way across his shirt, she grasped his far side, nestling just a bit closer for a few more minutes.
