raid. We would be in camp hardly five minutes, and already a group would be gathered around him.”
Roberta forked another spoonful into Nate’s mouth. “I’m sure he was wonderful, but you don’t have to keep walking in his shadow.”
Nate looked shocked by her words. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
“Aren’t you? He’s all you talk about unless it’s getting revenge on Laveau diViere. And that’s only because you hold him responsible for Caleb’s death. You spend most of your time away from your ranch, you have no social life, and virtually no friends. You have money, looks, and youth, yet you’re wasting all three.”
Nate swallowed and fixed her with an irritated frown. “Is that the complete list of my faults, or did you cut it short to spare my feelings?”
Roberta couldn’t repress a smile. “I’m certain there are more, but I know very little about you.”
“But if you knew me better, you wouldn’t hesitate to bring them to my attention.”
“Not unless you gave me reason. I’m not a cruel person.”
“Are they that bad?”
Nate looked so genuinely concerned, Roberta couldn’t hold back a laugh. “I’m sure they’re not, but you are a man, and in anything involving a man, a woman is well advised to assume the worst. That way she will never be disappointed.”
Nate’s brows knitted together, but there was a hint of laughter in his eyes. “You’re something of a minx. I can’t wait to see the man you marry.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Why?”
“I don’t plan to marry until I go back to Virginia.”
“There are plenty of men in Texas.”
“Not for me. Now that you’ve finished your eggs and toast, would you like some stewed peaches?”
“Anything to get the taste of eggs out of my mouth.”
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
She turned toward the door but was nearly knocked down when an enraged Russ McCoy burst through it. He held a bowl of peaches in his left hand.
“What the hell do you mean by giving the boss’s breakfast to Grady and Carlin while you feed him mush like this?”
Chapter Seven
Nate had never seen Russ so upset, not even when a bull they were attempting to castrate broke loose and gored his favorite horse. “Stop waving that bowl of peaches around before you spill it all over me.”
“How do you know it’s peaches?” Russ wanted to know. “I can’t tell what it is, and I’m looking at it.”
“Roberta was about to feed me some stewed peaches. I assumed they’d look a lot like mush.”
“You’d eat this?”
“She assures me it will put me in the pink of health by the time the doctor gets here.”
Roberta didn’t waste time setting Russ straight. “I said no such thing. I did tell him the food you sent over was unsuitable. I didn’t expect you to know anything about caring for a sick man, but I thought your cook would have had more sense.”
Nate should have felt guilty letting Roberta and Russ argue over him, but he was enjoying it too much. Roberta hardly knew him, didn’t appear to like him much, but she was looking out for his welfare with a vehemence he had previously associated only with mothers of small children. His own mother wouldn’t have defended him with such vigor.
As long as he could remember, everything had always been about Caleb. From the time his little brother could walk, there had been a litany of things Nate had to do to make sure nothing happened to him. Never let him out of your sight. Make sure he doesn’t run too fast. Keep him from picking up anything that could hurt him. Protect him from bullies and rough games. If their father hadn’t intervened, Caleb might not have been allowed to leave the house until it was time to go to school. At the end of every list came the same threat. I’ll never forgive you if anything happens to him .
She had been true to her word. When Nate told her of his brother’s death, he feared she would go insane with grief. For weeks she roamed the house,
Roberta forked another spoonful into Nate’s mouth. “I’m sure he was wonderful, but you don’t have to keep walking in his shadow.”
Nate looked shocked by her words. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
“Aren’t you? He’s all you talk about unless it’s getting revenge on Laveau diViere. And that’s only because you hold him responsible for Caleb’s death. You spend most of your time away from your ranch, you have no social life, and virtually no friends. You have money, looks, and youth, yet you’re wasting all three.”
Nate swallowed and fixed her with an irritated frown. “Is that the complete list of my faults, or did you cut it short to spare my feelings?”
Roberta couldn’t repress a smile. “I’m certain there are more, but I know very little about you.”
“But if you knew me better, you wouldn’t hesitate to bring them to my attention.”
“Not unless you gave me reason. I’m not a cruel person.”
“Are they that bad?”
Nate looked so genuinely concerned, Roberta couldn’t hold back a laugh. “I’m sure they’re not, but you are a man, and in anything involving a man, a woman is well advised to assume the worst. That way she will never be disappointed.”
Nate’s brows knitted together, but there was a hint of laughter in his eyes. “You’re something of a minx. I can’t wait to see the man you marry.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Why?”
“I don’t plan to marry until I go back to Virginia.”
“There are plenty of men in Texas.”
“Not for me. Now that you’ve finished your eggs and toast, would you like some stewed peaches?”
“Anything to get the taste of eggs out of my mouth.”
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
She turned toward the door but was nearly knocked down when an enraged Russ McCoy burst through it. He held a bowl of peaches in his left hand.
“What the hell do you mean by giving the boss’s breakfast to Grady and Carlin while you feed him mush like this?”
Chapter Seven
Nate had never seen Russ so upset, not even when a bull they were attempting to castrate broke loose and gored his favorite horse. “Stop waving that bowl of peaches around before you spill it all over me.”
“How do you know it’s peaches?” Russ wanted to know. “I can’t tell what it is, and I’m looking at it.”
“Roberta was about to feed me some stewed peaches. I assumed they’d look a lot like mush.”
“You’d eat this?”
“She assures me it will put me in the pink of health by the time the doctor gets here.”
Roberta didn’t waste time setting Russ straight. “I said no such thing. I did tell him the food you sent over was unsuitable. I didn’t expect you to know anything about caring for a sick man, but I thought your cook would have had more sense.”
Nate should have felt guilty letting Roberta and Russ argue over him, but he was enjoying it too much. Roberta hardly knew him, didn’t appear to like him much, but she was looking out for his welfare with a vehemence he had previously associated only with mothers of small children. His own mother wouldn’t have defended him with such vigor.
As long as he could remember, everything had always been about Caleb. From the time his little brother could walk, there had been a litany of things Nate had to do to make sure nothing happened to him. Never let him out of your sight. Make sure he doesn’t run too fast. Keep him from picking up anything that could hurt him. Protect him from bullies and rough games. If their father hadn’t intervened, Caleb might not have been allowed to leave the house until it was time to go to school. At the end of every list came the same threat. I’ll never forgive you if anything happens to him .
She had been true to her word. When Nate told her of his brother’s death, he feared she would go insane with grief. For weeks she roamed the house,
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