Married To Claim The Rancher's Heir

She’d soon discover there was more to him, too.

* * *

By the time she reached the top of the staircase, Janette figured there were two burned holes in the back of her borrowed dress. Her skin was most likely singed. Years of pleasing others had taught her how to maintain her composure. It had taken all she’d learned in the past to maintain control downstairs. However, it would also take more than an idle threat to scare her, and the sooner Gabe Callaway learned that, the better off they’d all be.

Leave Ruby here. Not a chance.

Not.

A.

Chance.

Fortified by her own confidence, Janette entered the bedroom. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze landed on the bed. Lying on her side, Ruby had both arms wrapped around the black-and-white kitten. Her tiny chin was resting on the kitten’s head, and both were sound asleep.

Janette closed the door and quietly crossed the room to undress using only the moonlight shining in through the window. Traveling with a kitten wouldn’t be that difficult. In fact, it would make the trip that much more enjoyable for Ruby.

His suggestion to visit a judge had shocked her at first, but it was a very good idea. No judge would give a child to a man living miles away from the closest town, the closest school. A breath of satisfaction filled her. Upon a visit to the judge, all would be settled, and her duty to Anna and Max complete. She’d never need to see Gabe Callaway again. Ever.

Dressed in her nightgown, Janette was about to fold back the covers on the other side of the bed when a soft knock sounded on the door. She quietly crossed the room and pulled the door open just enough to peek through the crack.

“I brought you some more baking soda and vinegar,” Rosalie said. “You’ll want to put it on your neck again before turning in. The itching could strike again if you don’t.”

“I’d nearly forgotten about it,” Janette admitted, pulling the door wider. “Thank you.”

“Do you need help?”

“No, I can manage.” Janette took the tray from Rosalie’s hands. “But thank you again.”

“All right.” Nodding toward the bed, Rosalie said, “Sleeping like a babe.”

“They both are.”

“That baking soda paste will need to sit on your neck for a while to do any good, so I made you a cup of tea to drink. It’ll help you sleep, too.”

“Thank you very much,” Janette said.

“I’ll see you in the morning, then,” Rosalie said. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Janette carried the tray to the dresser and then returned to close the door. As the hairs on her arms rose, she turned slightly. Gabe was at the end of the hall and didn’t even pretend to appear as if he wasn’t watching her. She closed the door and felt for a key sticking out of the keyhole. There wasn’t one.

She crossed the room and collected the wooden-back chair from near the dressing table and carried it back to the door. After hooking the back of the chair beneath the doorknob, she made her way to the bed, where she crawled beneath the covers and refused, absolutely refused, to allow a single thought about Gabe to enter her mind.

He didn’t. But the itching did. Dang him. How could he have made her forget the poison ivy? She pushed aside the covers, swung her feet over the edge and then made her way to the dresser, where she coated her neck with the baking soda Rosalie had mixed into a paste. Then she carried the cup of tea to the chairs near the window and sat down in one to let the paste do its job.

The tea was warm, sweet and soothing, and she leaned her head against the back of the chair. For as windy as it had been earlier, there was little more than a gentle breeze coming in the window, as well as a few night sounds. Crickets, an owl, the snorts of a horse.

The peacefulness was pleasant. Her home was on a well-traveled road that led to one of the many rail yards in the city. Wagons could be heard rolling up and down at all times of the night. She’d long ago gotten used to it.

She missed home. Mainly sewing. Each time she looked at Ruby, she’d picture a design that would look adorable on her. Over the past few years, she’d sewn several dresses and sent them to Anna, including the one Ruby had worn today and the past several days. The stage stops had barely allowed sleeping time, let alone time for a proper bath and to change clothes. For her, too. Tonight was the first time she’d worn her nightgown since she’d left Kansas City. The few days she’d been in Texas, she’d stayed with Mrs. Potter, the woman who’d taken care of Ruby. Without provisions for guests, the only hotel in town had closed its doors.

Traveling by train would be far more comfortable than the stagecoaches had been, and being home would be absolutely wonderful.

She twisted from the window, and her gaze settled on the bed. She and Ruby could leave from Hays directly after they met with the judge. It would be good to get Ruby settled and into a normal routine.

A yawn stretched Janette’s mouth so wide her ears popped.

The past month was certainly catching up with her. With all the traveling and worry, she hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours each night. A solid, full night of sleep is exactly what she needed. If she sat here much longer, she’d fall asleep in the chair. She made her way back over to the dresser and held her breath through the process of rinsing away the soda with the vinegar and then gratefully climbed into bed.

* * *

It felt as if she’d barely closed her eyes when a loud clanging had her sitting upright.

The noise continued, and though it didn’t appear to be bothering Ruby, Janette tossed aside the covers and stumbled, somewhat sleepily, to the window. It was still dark outside, but there was a faint hint of color to the sky.

Covering her ears as the clanging continued, she stuck her head out the window. Down the hill were several buildings, barns and whatnots, and on the porch of one stood a man—at least she assumed it was a man—ringing some sort of bell and yelling.

She twisted left and right, sniffing the air. There was no hint of smoke, of a fire, but why else would they be sounding an alarm? Pulling her head inside, she closed the window so the noise wouldn’t wake Ruby before grabbing her dress off the back of the chair. Still groggy, she pressed the dress against the front of her nightgown and made her way to the door. After maneuvering the chair aside, she pulled the door open to peek out and again sniff for the scent of fire. She didn’t detect any smoke, but Gabe was in the hallway, just outside her door.

“Is there a fire?”

“No,” he answered. “Why?”

A sense of relief, or just tiredness, had her leaning her head against the edge of the open door. “Why is that man sounding the fire bell?”

“That’s not a fire bell. It’s the morning wake-up call. Shorty’s letting the hired hands know breakfast will be on the table in less than an hour.”

“Breakfast?” She tried to smother a yawn, but it won out. Once it ended, she leaned heavier against the door. “It can’t be morning already.”

A tiny mew sounded, and the kitten brushed against her ankle before it slipped out the narrow opening of the door.

“It’s morning,” he said, picking up the kitten. “Even this little guy knows it’s time for breakfast.”

“It’s a girl.” Another yawn struck, and lasted as long as the other one had. Shaking her head once it ended, she said, “That kitten’s a girl, not a guy. And it can’t be morning. The sun isn’t up yet.”

He might have chuckled, she wasn’t overly sure. It took all her concentration just to keep her eyes open. One of them anyway.

“Go back to bed, Janette,” he said. “Shorty won’t ring the bell again.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Too tired to really care, she nodded and stumbled back toward the bed.

* * *

Gabe reached to pull the door shut but then pushed it open instead. Dawn had yet to break, but there was enough muted light for him to see her stumble around the bed and then collapse onto the mattress. Whether he liked to believe it or not, he wasn’t completely heartless, and he stepped into the room. The toe of his boot caught on something and he bent down to pick it up. The dress she’d been holding until she’d dropped it while covering a yawn. He tossed it over the nearby chair. Still holding the kitten in one hand, he walked around the bed and used his free hand to carefully flip the covers over the top of her.