Texas Cinderella Read online

  “Oh, and there’s that pretty spot out near the Keeter farm,” Mrs. Pratt added. “And see—” she pointed to a hamper on the kitchen table “—at Irene’s request, I packed a cold meal for two, so there’s no need to worry about your lunch.”

  “Of course, it’s entirely up to you where you go and what you do,” Mrs. Flanagan stated. “I just want you two away from this house for the next several hours. We’ll all benefit if you come back refreshed.”

  Cassie crossed her arms over her chest, her raised brow and stiff posture making it obvious something had got her back up. “Are you saying you’re not happy with the way I’ve been doing my job lately?” she asked.

  “Goodness, girl, don’t get prickly. All I’m saying is you deserve a bit of time off before you wear yourself out. And if you don’t believe you do, then what about Riley here? Don’t think I haven’t noticed all the little things that are suddenly working again around here. Don’t you think he deserves a bit of relaxation?”

  Riley wasn’t sure how he felt about Mrs. Flanagan using him as leverage to get Cassie to agree to her plan. Then again, he found he liked the idea of a guilt-free outing with Cassie, so he decided to hold his peace.

  She glanced his way. “What do you think?”

  He spread his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m thinking we don’t have much choice.”

  * * *

  A few minutes later Cassie found herself on the front porch, with Riley holding the food basket provided by Mrs. Pratt. She gave her companion a wry smile. “So what do we do now?”

  He lifted the basket slightly. “I think we go on a picnic. I’ll provide the transportation if you’ll direct us to somewhere appropriate.” He swept a hand out. “Shall we?”

  Fifteen minutes later, when Riley handed her up into the wagon they’d procured at the livery, she noticed River was tied to the back. So he planned to get some riding done while they were out. She supposed she couldn’t blame him—he’d had little chance to ride since he’d been here. Duchess was pulling the wagon so she could visit with her old friend while he was getting in his ride.

  Riley took his seat and lifted the reins, then turned to her. “So, where shall we go?”

  “Since you’re bringing River along, I think we should head out to Mercer’s Pond. It’s a pretty spot and there’s a meadow that’s fairly open and level that’ll be good for riding.”

  “Sounds perfect. Point the way.”

  “You know,” Cassie said as they headed out of town, “if we’d already told Mrs. Flanagan about your plan to leave for Tyler tomorrow, she might not have thought this outing necessary.”

  “I don’t know about that. It appeared to me that she was just as worried about you getting some time to yourself as she was me.”

  “For all her brusque ways, she really is a dear lady.”

  They rode in a comfortable silence for a while.

  It was Cassie who broke that silence first. “Do you mind if I ask you a question about your stepbrother?”

  He inwardly groaned. It wouldn’t be much of an outing if they focused on Guy. But he could hardly tell her no. “Ask away.”

  “Why would he be so interested in the children? I mean, it sounds as if he didn’t pay them much mind before he went to prison. And now that he’s free once more, it doesn’t seem as if a man like that would want to encumber himself with the care of young children.”

  That was a fair question. And an intelligent one. “You need to understand the kind of person Guy is. He viewed Nancy and the kids as possessions. They were his, and though he might not pay much attention to them, he never shares anything he considers his with anyone else.”

  Riley chose his next words carefully. “As I said last night, he’s also used Pru to further some of his shady schemes in the past. I’m certain he has plans to do more of the same sort of thing.”

  Riley saw Cassie’s jaw tense. “We can’t let him get his hands on them,” she declared.

  He was warmed by her use of we. “We won’t.” Then he gave her a smile. “Let’s not let Guy spoil our outing today. Tell me how your bakery business is going and what plans you have for it moving forward.”

  To his relief, she took her cue and the conversation moved on to more pleasant topics.

  * * *

  Cassie was almost sorry when they arrived at the pond. She’d enjoyed the ride, sitting close to Riley on the seat of the buckboard, having him listen so attentively to her dreams about the bakery, and not only listen but provide his own thoughts and opinions when she’d asked for them.

  When he came around to help her down from the wagon, his hands seemed to stay at her waist a little longer than necessary, not that she found it at all unpleasant.

  Once he released her, he let his gaze roam the open meadow and pond. “You were right—this is perfect for a nice ride.”

  Was he going to abandon her for River so soon?

  He studied the pond for a moment. “That looks like a good fishing spot.”

  “From what I’ve heard, it is.”

  He glanced her way. “Don’t you fish?”

  “I tagged along with my brothers when I was younger, but haven’t in a very long time.”

  “We should have brought some fishing poles today. It’s been a while since I baited a hook.”

  Cassie started to say they could do that next time, but then he remembered there wouldn’t be a next time. Instead she gave him an overly innocent look. “How are you at skipping stones?”

  “Fair to middlin’.” Then he raised a brow. “That wouldn’t by any chance be your way of issuing me a challenge?”

  “Maybe.”

  He rolled up his sleeves. “Then you’re on.”

  She was inordinately pleased that he wasn’t ready to abandon her for his ride just yet.

  They spent the next fifteen minutes or so trying to best each other at the art of skipping stones, while haggling over whether the objective was to get the stone to skip the farthest or the most times.

  In the end, they agreed to call it a draw.

  Riley took her arm and began moving back to the wagon. “Now it’s my turn to issue you a challenge.”

  “And what challenge would that be?”

  He released her and moved toward Duchess. “I think it’s high time a person as fond of horses as you are learns to ride.”

  She frowned, not sure what she thought about that. “Today?”

  “No time like the present,” he said cheerfully.

  “But I’m not dressed for riding.”

  He studied her garment. “Your skirt is sufficiently full to protect your modesty and you can mount from the bed of the wagon to make it less awkward.”

  Once he had Duchess unhitched, he led the mare to the back of the wagon, where he lifted out a saddle that had been stowed under a sheet of canvas.

  It didn’t seem to take him much time at all to get the mare saddled. Then he turned to her. “Ready?”

  With a nod she allowed him to assist her into the wagon bed, suddenly feeling quite daring.

  Once Cassie was settled in the saddle, he smiled. “Don’t worry. Duchess is a steady mount. And you two are already old friends. Now, I’m going to lead her around for a bit and let you get used to the feel of her, okay?”

  Cassie nodded and he set Duchess in motion. Riley kept an eye on them, advising Cassie on how to adjust her position, and describing how to give instructions to the horse. He was a patient and articulate teacher and his love of horses really came through. Finally, he gave her an approving look. “I think you’re ready to try this on your own.”

  Cassie wasn’t certain she quite agreed with his assessment, but he was already turning to River.

  Riley untied the horse from the back of the wagon and mounted him in one qui
ck, graceful movement that earned her admiration. A moment later he had pulled his horse up alongside hers. “We’ll ride side by side. Just relax and enjoy.”

  Easier said than done. By his own admission, he’d been riding since before he could walk. This was her first time riding a horse solo.

  But Riley kept his word to stay beside her, mixing words of encouragement with casual conversation, and gradually Cassie felt her apprehension ease. And before long she was actually enjoying herself. So much so that when Riley asked her if she was up for increasing the pace she allowed Duchess to break into a trot without a moment’s hesitation.

  They ended their ride by letting the horses drink their fill at the pond, then rode them back to the wagon.

  Riley dismounted first, then came around to assist Cassie. He had enjoyed watching her gain confidence as a rider. She’d taken to it as easily as he’d figured she would.

  Cassie smiled down at him, her face flushed with triumph and exhilaration from her ride. In that moment, she was so achingly beautiful that she took his breath away.

  As she slid down trustingly into his arms, his hands tightened around her. Their gazes met and locked, and he could not for the life of him release her. She felt nice in his arms like this—soft, warm, feminine. It was as if they were in a little bubble—isolated, protected, uplifted. Her lips looked so sweet and kissable. What would she do if he put that thought into action?

  Then Duchess nickered and the spell was broken.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Riley abruptly released her and stepped back.

  Clearing his throat, he reached for Duchess’s reins. “Why don’t you get our picnic set up while I tend to the horses?”

  “All right.”

  He heard the confusion in her voice. Was it because of what had almost happened? Or because he’d broken it off before anything could happen?

  Best not to ponder that question. Instead he focused on tending to the animals while she retrieved the picnic basket and blanket.

  By the time he had the horses taken care of she had the blanket spread under a tree and was unloading the food and dishes.

  When he neared, she looked up and offered an easy smile of greeting, as if that little moment of awkwardness between them had never happened. Relieved, he sat down on the blanket across from her.

  He wasn’t going to push his luck by getting too close to her right now.

  “So what did our friends pack us for lunch?” he asked.

  “They did very well by us. There’s some cold fried chicken, bread, cheese and a couple slices of pound cake.”

  “A feast, indeed.”

  Cassie filled their plates, and then Riley asked the blessing.

  As they began eating, she gave him a smile. “I can see why you enjoy riding so much. It makes one feel on top of the world.”

  “So you don’t think that’ll be your last ride?”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  If only he could stick around here to go on some of those rides with her.

  Once they’d finished the main portion of the meal, Cassie placed a piece of cake on two plates and handed one to him. As he took his first bite, though, he realized she was just picking at hers with her fork. Was something worrying her?

  “Not hungry?” he asked lightly. “Or do you just prefer pie?”

  She glanced up guiltily and then smiled sheepishly. “Last night, you asked me for a favor and shared something very personal with me in order to explain exactly what it was you were asking.”

  He nodded. “And I truly appreciate your ready agreement to help.”

  “I was wondering if perhaps I could turn the tables on you now.”

  “How so?”

  “I have a favor to ask, but it involves something a bit personal.”

  Now this sounded interesting. “Ask away.” Whatever this favor was, it must be something big. She seemed unduly nervous and slightly embarrassed.

  “The thing is, I don’t have much experience speaking to men besides my pa and brothers.” She pushed a stray tendril behind her ear, not quite meeting Riley’s gaze. “I mean, of course there are shopkeepers and such, but I’m talking about speaking to men on a more personal basis. In fact, there’s only you and maybe Mr. Chandler.”

  Who was this Mr. Chandler? And why had she been speaking to him on a personal basis? But Riley supposed that was none of his business. “Go on.”

  She fidgeted a moment, then seemed to gather up her courage. “I need to propose marriage to someone, and I don’t quite know how to go about it.”

  That completely unexpected confession set him back, hard. Propose marriage? Had he really heard her right?

  She grimaced. “I suppose I should explain.”

  “That might be best.”

  “You heard me talking to my brother yesterday about how he and Dinah are going to be moving into their own place soon.”

  Riley nodded.

  “Well, when they do, my pa wants me to move back home so I can take care of him and my other three brothers—cook their meals, do their laundry, keep the house clean, that sort of thing.”

  In other words, be an unpaid housekeeper. “And you don’t want to go.” Riley could certainly understand that.

  She shook her head, looking miserable. “You must think me a wretchedly ungrateful daughter.”

  He reached over and clasped her hand. “Not at all. You’re a grown woman, with a life of your own to live. And you deserve to have the opportunity to live it.”

  “I wish my pa felt that way.” Then she sobered again. “The thing is, it’s what I did for most of the last ten years. My ma died when I was thirteen, and my pa pulled me out of school so I could do all those chores she always managed.” Cassie gave him a weak grin. “I’d never appreciated how much my ma really did until her chores became mine.”

  Pulled her out of school? Seeing as she set such a great score by schooling, that must have been hard on Cassie.

  “The farm is several miles from town, and not on the main road, and after Ma passed, Pa didn’t have much use for church. So without school or church services, I didn’t get to see many folks besides the family.”

  “That must have been difficult.” And lonely.

  She shrugged off his sympathy and continued with her story. “All that changed eight months ago when Verne married Dinah. They moved into the house and I was able to turn it all over to her. I came to town and haven’t been back since.”

  “I can’t say I blame you for that. And now your father wants you to return home when your brother and his wife move out.”

  Cassie nodded. “But don’t get me wrong, my pa has a good heart and is a very hard worker. He gets up when the sun rises and works until it sets. He just doesn’t think he should be expected to do all the woman’s work around the place, too.”

  Before Riley could respond to that, she hurried on. “That’s why I need to find a husband. I’ve tried reasoning with my pa, and then I tried standing up to him, but he just waves aside everything I say. But I figure if I was married, he couldn’t very well expect me to leave my husband to go take care of him.”

  That seemed a rather drastic solution. “Surely there are other options.”

  Her lips set in a stubborn line. “You don’t know my father.” Then she waved a hand impatiently. “Besides, I don’t have much time. Pa expects me to return home as soon as Mrs. Flanagan is back on her feet.”

  “That’s still no reason to get married.”

  “It may not be the best reason to get married, but it’s better than some. At least I’ll make certain we both know what we’re getting into, unlike some lovesick pair who feel cheated later when the reality doesn’t match their dream.”

  That was a mighty cynical outlook for a young woman. What
sort of marriage had her parents had? “What about your bakery business?”

  She nodded as if he’d just agreed with her. “That’s yet another reason for me to go through with this. If I don’t convince my father that I won’t be returning home, then there won’t be a bakery business.”

  Was Cassie so afraid of her father? Or was this some exaggerated form of daughterly obedience?

  “Besides, it’s my fault my ma is not around to do for him,” she stated.

  That brought Riley up short. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean it’s my fault she passed when she did.”

  Surely it hadn’t been as dire as Cassie made it sound?

  “Ma always made sure Pa didn’t interfere with my schooling and that I had time to do my studies,” she began. “She said she wanted me to have a chance to be a schoolteacher if I wanted.” Cassie’s expression turned bittersweet. “I think that had been her own dream before she gave it up to marry Pa.”

  “It sounds like she was a mighty fine woman.”

  “She was. Anyway, on this particular day, I was supposed to hoe the weeds in the garden. But I didn’t want to. So I told Ma about a spelling bee we would be having in class the next day.”

  Wherever this was headed, Riley knew it wasn’t going to end well. “You were a child. Sometimes children act childishly.”

  The look Cassie shot him said clearly just what she thought of that statement. “She insisted I stay in and study while she took care of the garden, just as I’d known she would.” Cassie’s gaze dropped to her hands. “I already knew most of the words, but I told myself I could use some more practice.”

  “I take it something happened.”

  She nodded. “While Ma was out in the garden, doing work I should have been doing, she got bit by a coral snake.”

  Riley saw the grief on Cassie’s face, heard the self-blame in her tone. “That wasn’t your fault,” he said firmly.

  She glared at him. “Wasn’t it? I didn’t really need to study. In fact, I was doing more daydreaming than studying. And while I was thinking about Asa Redding, who’d smiled at me in class that morning, my ma was dying in the garden. She never even made it back to the house.”