CHAPTER EIGHT

Pearl sat before the fire, a blanket wrapped around her. From his desk, Ethan pretended he was reading a report even as he covertly watched her. She had said nothing since they’d discovered the snowstorm outside, seating herself before the fire and staring into the flames with a ferociousness he’d thought she only reserved for him.

It was a weird feeling, having her in his cabin. Many a night he’d lain in his bunk, picturing the way a lone red curl lay against the creaminess of flesh exposed by her low-cut gowns, the curve of her hip and how it would feel beneath his grip, the way her eyes would flash fire at him as her thighs hugged his hips, but such fancies were just that and ones he knew would never happen no matter how much longing he felt. He’d never imagined she would be seated in his chair before his fire, her red hair ruthlessly pinned, apart from wisps pulled from its style by the wind and her dress soaked by the snow.

It was a soft but steady fall outside, and he knew come morning the world would be blanketed in white. She wouldn’t be able tot leave, not until the snow had lessened some, and then he would take her back. He knew she would protest, claim she could take her own self, but he wouldn’t be able to rest unless he knew she’d returned safely to the Diamond, and if she argued and frowned and cursed him forever, well she already did that, didn’t she? At least he would know she was safe.

He was still confused as to the reason why she’d even come. He’d never before left his hat at the Diamond—and it were true he loved that mottled thing more than was wise—but it was also true he would return. He could have collected it then. At the end of the day, it didn’t much matter why she had come. The fact was she had, and now she was stranded here and none too happy about it. As for him, well he was always content when she was near.

Checking the clock on his desk, he pushed back and stood. If there were nothing else to do, might as well start on the evening meal. It would be him and her for the next few days, and he had enough supplies to last them both weeks. He’d learnt the hard way to always keep food on hand, even if was canned beans and hard tack. Monotony was better than starving.

At his movement, her head whipped around and now she frowned at him rather than the fire. “Where are you going?”

“Gonna start cooking. Got some steaks and green beans, hope that’s to your liking.”

Her brows shot to her hairline. “You know how to cook?”

If he didn’t, he wouldn’t eat. Nodding sharply in response, he put on his fur-lined duster. “Gotta go outside. Wrap that blanket tighter.” He didn’t wait to see if she did as he’d said.

The steaks were in his coolbox outside, and the moment it took to get them, he just about froze through. The snow was falling softly now, though the dark hid how bad it really was. Morning light would tell the tale, though. He collected some butter he’d been saving for a special occasion, both to fry them in and to dress the canned green beans to mask the some of the blandness. He didn’t think too closely on why he’d deemed Pearl La Monte showing up at his door as a special occasion.

Before entering the cabin, he shook off the snow that had caked onto his boots and had drifted onto him. The warmth hit him like relief, and he gratefully removed his coat before heading for the collection of pots and pans next to his stove.

Pearl watched him in silence as he did all of this, her brow creased. “If you can cook, why do you eat at the Diamond as much as you do?” she finally said. “You ain’t one for drinking, neither, so I— Most— The girls speculated you come for the food.”

He shrugged. “Like the company now and then.”

She made a sound of disbelief. “Yeah, you’re a right fountain of chatter and socialising, sitting as you do at your table by your own self and not staying nothing besides.”

He grunted. She wasn’t wrong, but he wasn’t going to tell her he came to the Diamond for her, so he could watch her dazzle and charm her patrons, so he could watch when she and the Diamond girls practiced their Spectacular, and so on those occasions she stalked over to him all riled and magnificent, he could pretend the longing she inspired might one day be filled.

The steaks were almost done, and the beans didn’t take much. Moving to his small dining table, he held out the chair for her.

She looked from him to the chair. “What are you doing?”

“Dinner’s almost ready.”

“I meant, why are you holding the chair like that?

He was only doing what his mother and tutors had taught him, treating a lady as she deserved to be. “It’s only right.”

Her brow puckered in bewilderment, she rose from the fire and seated herself at the table. “I don’t think anyone’s ever held my chair for me before.”

“Then pardon my saying so, Miz Pearl, but you ain’t associating with the right kind of people.”

Brow still creased, she watched as he set a plate before her and then one for himself, dragging the chair from his desk to sit opposite. They ate in silence a while, the buttery steak having turned out pretty damn tasty if he had to say so himself.

“What were you doing?”

The sound of her voice was so unexpected he damn near jumped out of his skin. “Pardon?

“At your desk. What were you doing?”

“Nothing much. Just work.”

She stared at him. He stared back. Why was she looking at him like that?

“So why is that hat all-fired important to you?” she finally said.

“Not so much the hat but who it belonged to.”

Again, she stared at him, her expression darkening as the silence increased.

He didn’t know what she wanted from him. He’d answered her question, hadn’t he?

Her breath exploded. “God damn it, but you are the most infuriating of men,” she exploded. “Finish a goddamn story, would you? Who gave you the hat and why was this person important? We’re going to be trapped together for a whiles yet and I ain’t gonna sit in silence, so you better just accustomed yourself to talking with me, Ethan Garrett.”

He wasn’t used to talking, and he wasn’t used to anyone taking an interest in anything he had to say. Most of his life, people had seemed more interested in the sound of their own voices than his, and no one previous had commented on his lack of speech. But if Pearl wanted something and he had the power to give it to her, he would struggle his way through a tale that didn’t seem much interesting to him.

“When I first headed west, there were an old timer who showed me how to prospect.” The corner of his mouth kicked up as he remembered the ornery coot. “To say he were reluctant to show a wet behind the ears lad how to do what he did was an understatement. We went deep into the wild and each night, he’d tell me to sleep deep or he’d most likely lose me to a bear in the morning. Gave me a right fear of wildlife, he did.

“For ’bout a year I reckon I followed him around, learning just about everything there is to know about prospecting, and then when our time was up, he told me I was replacing him as he had bought a plot of land and were ready to settle down with a widow he’d been wooing. And sure enough within a month he was gone and I was doing what he did. Afore he left, though, he handed me the hat off his head, wished me good luck. Sometimes still go see him and his woman. Even got a kid.”

She’d cocked her head while he’d talked, listening to ever word he’d said. Straightening, she said, “Was that so hard?”

He was wise enough to know not to respond to that. A thought occurred, though, and he frowned. She hadn’t come here telling no one, had she? That was a fool’s action, and Pearl La Monte was never a fool. “Does anyone know you were coming here? Who will miss you?”

She blinked, the change of subject probably jarring to her. “Simon knows I was headed here, as did Molly and Anna. They won’t worry too much, I don’t reckon, even if I’m stuck here for this one night.” She firmed her jaw. “Reckon it is I’ll be able to set out come morning. The snow can’t be that heavy, not at this time of year, and it weren’t even threatening earlier. Nope, I’ll be back tomorrow before anyone has cause for concern.”

He didn’t reply. She had a stubborn cast to her face, her full lips thinned and her chin set. To him, the weather had looked like it had settled in, dumping enough snow to lock people in their homes for a few days yet.

Something flickered in her eyes, something almost desperate. His heart softened. But, if she needed to believe otherwise, he wasn’t going to contradict her.

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