Caterina: A Sweet Western Historical Romance Pendleton Petyticoats Book 2 Read online

  The telegram gave him a perfect excuse for riding out to see how much trouble he was still in with the women.

  It appeared Aundy was ready to forgive him. He certainly hoped Caterina was of the same mind, but he somehow doubted it.

  “Listen, Aundy, about the other night.” Kade mustered his courage while tamping down his pride.

  “Yes?” Her questioning look and encouraging smile loosened his tongue.

  “I’m sorry for upsetting you and for the mess in the kitchen. It won’t happen again. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “You’re forgiven, Kade. I’m just very glad to see you.” She wiped some of the sticky juice from her fingers onto her apron. “Can you stay for supper? We’re going to have cherry pie for dessert.”

  “I can’t today, but I really appreciate the offer. If I wasn’t working, I’d make sure I got a bigger piece of pie than Garrett.”

  Aundy laughed and glanced at Kade, tipping her head toward the tree and giving him an encouraging nod. “So what brings you out today?”

  “You received a telegram. I left it on the kitchen table. Wasn’t sure if anyone was home or not then I happened to hear you girls out here, having all sorts of fun picking cherries.”

  “Fun, indeed.” Aundy lifted a large pail full of cherries. “I think I’ll take this back to the house and read that telegram. If I need to send a response, could you take it to town for me?”

  “Sure. I’d be happy to,” Kade said, only vaguely aware of Aundy walking in the direction of the house with a little extra spring in her step.

  Kade looked through the leaves and fruit hanging in the tree. Caterina perched high on a limb, wearing a dark red calico dress. He’d seen Aundy stitching on it one evening after supper a few weeks ago and guessed she probably either made it or altered it for Caterina.

  “Cat, I know you’re mad at me, and you’ve got every right to be, but will you come down so I can apologize?” Kade stepped closer to the trunk of the tree and gazed upward. If he turned his head just right, he got an eyeful of white petticoats, shapely calves and small black boots. He was sure Caterina had the tiniest feet he’d ever seen on a grown woman.

  “No,” was the answer that floated down to him. He realized at that moment how much he’d missed hearing the smoky voice that so often occupied his dreams.

  “Come down here,” he ordered, pointing to the ground next to him. The words barely left his mouth when a handful of cherries pelted him on the shoulders and bounced off his hat.

  “Stop that, you little imp,” Kade growled, holding a hand in front of his face as he tried to look into the tree.

  “No,” she decreed, sending another shower of cherries raining down on him. He heard her giggle and decided he’d had enough as a third wave of fruit assailed him. One particularly rotten cherry splattered his shoulder and juice stained his light chambray shirt.

  “I guess I’ll have to climb up there and make you.” He reached for a limb overhead and placed his boot against the trunk, easily pulling himself up to the branch.

  “No, Kade! Stop! I’ll come down,” Caterina called, starting down the tree. It was bad enough to have to see Kade, but she certainly didn’t want to be stuck up in the cherry tree with him where he’d no doubt steal a kiss or two and make her forget how angry she’d been with him.

  Had he bothered to apologize right away, she may have forgiven him. Even a note expressing his remorse would have sufficed. He could’ve even called on the telephone with a vague mention of regret.

  Six days later, she was in no mood to hear whatever it was he had to say. She didn’t care anymore, or so she emphatically declared to anyone who would listen. It was a lot easier convincing herself of that when she didn’t have to see the handsome deputy with his golden head, square chin, broad shoulders, and bright green eyes.

  His masculine scent wafted to her and she nearly missed a foothold as she worked her way through the branches. Almost to the bottom, something grabbed her foot, making her lose her balance. She gulped in a breath as she fell through the air. Before she could blink, she found herself in Kade’s arms, held against his powerful chest.

  “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Plucking the prettiest cherry I’ve ever seen.” A devilish smile tilted up the corners of his generous mouth.

  “You’re im…”

  Kade cut in before she could finish her statement. “I know, I’m impossible, impertinent, impolite, a cad, a brute, and a selfish, horrible man you never want to see again. Correct?”

  “Maybe.” Caterina fought to keep her smile from showing and lost the battle.

  Gently setting her on her feet, Kade took a step back and let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry, darlin’. The other night, you didn’t do anything wrong. Not at all. I’m a first-class fool and I’m truly sorry. I should never have said what I did. You’re right. I’m a beast, and a pig, and whatever other names you called me in Italian. My sincere apologies. I know you aren’t that kind of girl and I’m sorrier than you can know to have made you feel that way.”

  “Then why did you say such hateful things?” Tears burned the back of her throat.

  When she gazed at him imploringly, with a wounded look in her tear-filled eyes, Kade felt his chest ache at the pain he’d so needlessly caused her.

  “I was mad because Grant seemed to be interested in much more than your food. He was paying you more attention than I liked.” Kade thought his demise might soon arrive if she forced him to admit he was jealous.

  “He did come here to sample my food so he could consider a loan for my restaurant. Why wouldn’t he pay me attention?”

  “Everyone pays you attention. You’re far too beautiful, and obviously, far too naïve for your own good. Grant wasn’t looking at you as a future business venture. He looked at you as a man looks at a woman he likes very much.” Even now, envy coiled in his stomach again as he recalled the way Grant sent admiring glances toward Caterina throughout the meal.

  “Oh.” Caterina studied Kade’s face to see if he was telling the truth. The set of his mouth and regret in his look let her know he was sincere. Something else flickered in his gaze, hot and bright in those glorious green eyes. Something she refused to acknowledge or consider.

  “I’m very sorry, Cat. I don’t think any of those things I said about you and I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.” Kade did his best to look contrite. He certainly felt it as he brought up his thumbs and wiped Caterina’s tears from her cheeks.

  “Maybe, someday.” Lazily trailing her hand over the trunk of the tree, Caterina started to walk around it. The flirty glance she sent over her shoulder made Kade swallow hard. His Adam’s apple rose and fell twice as he locked his eyes on hers. “You might have to put some effort into redeeming yourself, Deputy Rawlings. You did behave like a knuckle-dragging cavedweller.”

  The teasing smile she slipped him, though brief, was like the sun coming out after a bad storm. It filled Kade with unexpected warmth, giving him a luminous feeling he hadn’t experienced in nearly a week.

  “I’ll do my best.” Unable to stop himself from placing a hand to her waist, he kissed her cheek. “If you think you could give up your cherry picking for a few minutes, I’ve got something for you in my saddle bag.”

  “Why don’t you help me finish, then we can go to the house together. That should give Aundy time to have at least one pie in the oven. If you work this right, you might get a piece before Garrett.” Caterina knew the competition between Kade and his friend was fierce and strong, particularly when it came to food.

  “Great idea.” Kade grabbed an empty pail and shimmied up the tree. He glanced down at Caterina and shot her a devilish smile. “I’ll pick the high fruit unless you want me staring at your pretty little ankles while you work.”

  “Oh, you…” Caterina outwardly fumed although she was secretly quite pleased Kade thought her ankles were pretty. Regardless, he shouldn’t have been looking at them. Then a
gain, she was sitting in the tree with her skirts hiked up and fully enjoying the freedom she experienced being there.

  “Fine, the big man thinks he is così importante,” Caterina said, picking a handful of cherries and dropping them in her pail.

  “Do I dare ask what that means?” Kade stared at the top of Caterina’s head. The sun streaked through the leaves of the tree and rippled across her dark tresses with highlights that looked like midnight velvet. He wondered if her hair would feel as soft in his fingers. Lost in his thoughts, he lurched forward and caught a branch for balance before he fell out of the tree.

  Lecturing himself to keep his mind focused on the task at hand, it was hard to drag his attention away from the beautiful girl standing beneath him.

  “I said you seem to think you are so important that you get to boss around everyone.” Caterina gazed upward with a sassy grin.

  Kade grunted in reply.

  They were quiet for a few moments then Kade asked Caterina about her loan for the restaurant and she filled him in on the details.

  She and Aundy planned to travel to Portland with J.B. and Nora to meet the owners of the building and sign paperwork. When she returned to Pendleton, she would be the owner of her very own restaurant.

  “Why isn’t Garrett going along?” Kade asked, recalling Garrett mentioned something about cutting hay. Kade volunteered to help him on his day off, even though it wasn’t his favorite thing to do. It was hot, sweaty, backbreaking work.

  “He’s busy with ranch work this week. He said he could rearrange his schedule, but J.B. offered to take us, so we leave on the train tomorrow.

  “So soon?” Kade didn’t like the idea of Caterina being gone. Even though he hadn’t seen her in almost a week, at least he knew where to find her if the mood to visit struck him or if someone showed up looking for her. If she’d truly run away from someone, he doubted they’d give up trying to find her so easily. He certainly wouldn’t.

  “It’s not soon. Mr. Hill gave me the loan last week. I’ve spent the last several days finishing my business plan, making lists of products and equipment I need to purchase, and writing out menus.”

  The word menus got his attention.

  “Menus? Like what you’re planning to serve in the restaurant?” Kade asked. His mouth began to water at thoughts of the dishes she made. Most women simply cooked but Caterina did something with food Kade was convinced had to be magical.

  Thoughts of the way her hands moved and how she hummed in a sultry tone as she worked in the kitchen made him swallow repeatedly. His throat went dry and his gut hardened into a tight knot.

  “Yes, menus. I have to plan what I want to serve so I can acquire the proper ingredients. There are a few Italian grocers in Portland. After I sign the paperwork, we’re going to see what they have to offer then I’ll place an order for all the restaurant supplies I need that aren’t included with the sale of the building.

  “Will those little pasta things with the meaty filling…What do you call them?”

  “Ravioli.”

  “Will ravioli be on the menu?” Kade sounded hopeful as he asked the question.

  Caterina smiled. Kade may be many things, including an arrogant officer of the law, but he did appreciate good food.

  “Ravioli will be on the menu as well as my gnocchi, lasagna, spaghetti, and tortellini. We’ll have tarts and cakes and cannoli along with cookies and pudding, just not all at once.” Temporarily forgetting her cherry picking, she imagined herself in a kitchen with the smells of her family’s heritage drifting around her.

  “What are cannoli?” Kade asked, pulling Caterina from her reverie of the food she would offer in her restaurant.

  “The most delicious things you’ll ever taste.”

  “I doubt it,” Kade muttered, attentively focused on Caterina’s lips, stained dark red from the cherries she’d snitched. He was desperate to find out if they would taste as ripe and sweet as they looked.

  Nevertheless, she’d forbidden him from kissing her after their last disastrous encounter. He wondered how hard he’d have to work to convince her kissing him was in her best interest.

  “What did you say?”

  “Nothing. Now, tell me about cannoli.”

  “Cannoli are light pastries shaped like tubes that are fried then filled with a scrumptious, creamy filling. They are magnifico.” Caterina kissed her fingertips then released them in the air. Passion and excitement filled the smile she tossed Kade’s direction.

  Almost falling out of the tree as he watched her, he concluded they’d picked more than enough cherries for the day. Especially if Caterina continued to be so animated about her cooking.

  “Come on, my little cherry, let’s take these to the house.” Kade emptied the pails into larger buckets and picked them up. Caterina started to take the handle of one and he gave her a look that let her know he wouldn’t allow a lady to carry a heavy bucket.

  As they walked to the house, the marvelous aroma of a baking pie wafted out the kitchen window making Kade’s stomach growl. While he wished he didn’t have to go to work soon, he begrudged Garrett the fine dinner he would no doubt eat, finished off with warm cherry pie.

  “Did you miss lunch?” Caterina asked, hearing the rumble of Kade’s belly.

  “I had a sandwich.” Appreciatively sniffing, he carried the buckets into the kitchen.

  Caterina washed her hands then poured him a glass of milk. She slid a plate of cookies toward him after he washed his hands and took a seat at the table.

  “My goodness, you two picked a lot of cherries. We’ll have to work fast to get all these put up tonight,” Aundy said, looking at the fruit with wide-eyes. It was a good thing she and Caterina were both efficient in the kitchen.

  “I figured that was enough to keep you girls hopping the rest of the day.” Kade contentedly munched a spicy cookie. “Was your telegram good news?”

  “It was from Ilsa. She said she can’t come anytime soon, but she is sending me a few trunks of fabric, along with some things that belonged to our family.”

  “Is she ever going to be able to come?” Kade wondered what kept the girl in Chicago.

  “I certainly hope so.” Unsuccessfully, Aundy tried to hide the look of disappointment passing across her face. She looked at all the cherries and decided they needed some help. “I’m going to run down to the bunkhouse and see if Li can help us with the cherries.”

  “I’ll start getting them ready.” Caterina began rinsing and pitting the cherries at the sink.

  She cast a few glances at Kade while he finished his snack. Caterina missed him more than she would have thought possible. His scent, his smile, the sound of his deep voice, as well as the way his muscles flexed beneath the cotton of his shirt had filled her thoughts no matter how angry she’d been with him.

  Caterina thought she was well versed in men, growing up in a house full of brothers. However, Kade was just a little bit more than every other man she’d ever encountered - more fun, more handsome, more teasing, more exasperating.

  Of all the males in the whole wide world, she didn’t know why the one sitting at the table enjoying his milk and cookies with the enthusiasm of a rascally boy had to be the man to seize her attention.

  Kade gulped the last of his milk, swiped the crumbs off the table into his hand and stepped next to Caterina. He brushed his arm against her shoulder with blatant intention as he flicked the crumbs off his hand into the sink.

  “I’ll just get that little something for you out of my saddlebag,” he said before walking to the front door.

  Caterina drew in a deep breath, not aware she’d been holding it as Kade stood beside her. The man was completely disconcerting.

  The clomp of his boots announced his return as he strode down the hall to the kitchen and set a paper-wrapped box on the table.

  Excited at the prospect of a gift, Caterina popped the cherry she’d been pitting into her mouth and washed her hands, drying them on a towel.

  �
��What is it?” she asked, looking down at the package, anxious to know what Kade brought her.

  “A peace offering.”

  Her knees wobbled at the enticing smile Kade bestowed upon her. She sank onto a chair, untied the string, and carefully folded back the paper to reveal a beautiful black box with pink roses and green leaves on the top.

  “Oh, Kade, this is too much.” Caterina rubbed her fingers across the lid of a spice box. She opened it and admired six spice tins decorated to match the case.

  “Do you like it?” The look on her face and the tears once again filling her eyes let him know she was pleased. Squatting next to her, he waited for her answer.

  “No,” she whispered, turning her watery gaze to Kade, finding herself just inches away from his handsome face. At his deflated look, she smiled. “I love it.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, gave him a squeeze, and kissed his cheek. “It’s wonderful.”

  “I’m glad you love it.” Kade took her hand in his as he sat on a chair and rubbed his big, callused fingers across her smooth, soft palm. “It made me think of that pretty necklace you sometimes wear.”

  Surprised Kade noticed the pendant her mother gave her, Caterina pulled the chain from inside her dress collar, letting the necklace fall against her bodice.

  Kade picked it up in his fingers and admired the pink roses that almost matched those on the spice box. The warmth of the metal, having rested against Caterina’s skin, licked up his hand with flames of heat, causing him to become distracted with thoughts he knew belonged only to a husband.

  Forcibly clearing his throat and mind, he studied the heavy piece of jewelry. “It almost matches, doesn’t it?”

  “I don’t know how you found something so close to the design, Kade, but it is absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait to use it in my restaurant. It will keep those evil little topos out of my spices.”

  “Mice, right?” Kade grinned, pleased he remembered the Italian word for the nasty rodents.

  “You’re a fast learner.” Caterina surveyed the way Kade bent his strong, broad shoulders forward as he studied the family heirloom he held in his hands.