Cade was certain the large grin on his face made him look half mad as he strode toward the livery, but he didn’t care, not when the look was caused by a woman as wonderful as the one he’d just married.
Chapter Seven
Joliepausedjustinsidethe door to the Crest Stone Mercantile and General Store. She took a deep breath and tried to still her hands. It was unexpected, the way she found herself reacting to Cade.
Her husband. Herhusband! Jolie stifled a shriek of joy with a gloved hand pressed to her lips. She was now Mrs. Cade Harris, and the man she’d married surpassed even her most imaginative musings about his brother on the train journey west. He was remarkably handsome, strong, witty, and kind. He possessed an intelligence that she’d prayed for, and he even seemed to appreciate the abilities she possessed that had caused others back home to raise an eyebrow. Ladies such as Jolie weren’t expected to know how to start a fire, or cook an entire meal, much less spend a night sleeping outside on the ground with nary a complaint.
It was as if everything she’d found herself interested in had finally come to fruition out here in Colorado. And—to make it even more wonderful—she’d married a perfectly wonderful man. She could hardly wait to write her mother.
Brushing her hands over her skirts, Jolie tried to corral her thoughts into something sensible. They needed food, additional cooking equipment, another plate, utensils, and cups. A bucket to carry water wouldn’t go amiss, and she’d be certain to purchase paper and ink to write.
Jolie set about wandering the store before finding her way to the rear. At the counter stood a lively, slight woman in spectacles, with two bunches of some sort of dried herbs tied with ribbon lying on the wood countertop in front of her. She chatted with the lady behind the counter, a tall woman with blonde hair and a friendly smile. Jolie hovered off to the side, waiting for the two to finish their conversation. She examined the herbs from a distance. Squinting her eyes, she tried to figure out what they were to no avail.
“Let me see if Thomas placed them in our stockroom,” the blonde woman said before disappearing through a door behind the counter.
“Lavender,” the lady with the spectacles said as Jolie stepped forward. “The herbs. I noticed you looking at them. It’s good for tea and pleasant for a sachet. I’m Mrs. Wright, but please call me Edie.”
Jolie warmed at her pleasant introduction. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Jolie Tay—I mean, Harris. Mrs. Jolie Harris.” The name felt unfamiliar on her tongue, but she liked the sound of it. It made her feel as if she belonged again, as if she hadn’t been entirely uprooted and separated from the only family she had left.
“Recently married, I take it?” Edie asked.
Jolie blushed. “Just this morning. My husband is Cade Harris. He has some land outside of town. A ranch . . . or what will be a ranch. It was his brother’s but now it’s Cade’s.” Jolie forced herself to stop speaking. Somehow not having female companionship since she’d left home had made her want to confide everything in this woman she’d just met.
“Congratulations on your marriage! Harris . . .” Edie trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. “Is the ranch south of town?”
“Yes, about an hour and half’s ride. Do you know Cade?”
Edie shook her head. “No, but I’m fairly certain I remember my husband—he’s the town marshal—mentioning that last name in connection with something that happened south of town over the summer. Did you say your husband had a brother?”
“Yes. His name was Lucas. He’s passed away.” Jolie opted to keep the awful fact of the cause of Lucas’s death to herself, although Edie hardly looked the sort to be shocked.
“I do remember now, and I’m so very sorry for your husband’s loss. We were all horrified to hear about what happened to Mr. Harris. James and the sheriff were particularly frustrated that they were unable to find who was behind the evil deed.”
Jolie swallowed, her empathy for Cade surging at the through of Lucas’s murderer going about unpunished for what he did. “Thank you. I don’t know much about what happened, but I’m glad your husband looked into it. I know that means a lot to Cade. I’m sure he’d be grateful for any information about the investigation.”
“I’m afraid there isn’t much to relay. But you can tell Mr. Harris that all James and Sheriff Hunt were able to find was evidence of hoofprints, and that a neighbor reported seeing a rider on a white horse galloping past his home on the same day the salesman found your husband’s brother.” Edie frowned, as if she were personally disappointed there was no more evidence. “But nothing ever came of the white horse, as no one in the area seems to own one. And nothing else ever came to light.”
Jolie’s heart contracted. It would have been nice to tell Cade that there was something more than a horse that was likely long gone and that said horse might have left prints on Lucas’s land. “Thank you. I’ll tell Cade all that you’ve told me, in case he doesn’t know it yet.”
Edie nodded. “I’m certain Sheriff Hunt would be happy to meet with him if he’d like.”
The blonde woman peered around the doorway, “I’ve found them! I’m waiting on Thomas to get the crate down from the top shelf.”
“Please tell him thank you,” Edie said. She turned back to Jolie. “That’s Caroline Drexel. She and her husband own this store. She’s wonderful about ordering anything you might need. Such as small jars to store dried herbs.”
“Do you work with herbs often?” Jolie asked eagerly.
“I do. I adore plants and herbs, particularly for their medicinal qualities. I’ve brought this lavender for Caroline. It’s good for encouraging sleep.”
“How fascinating!” Jolie fell into an easy conversation with Edie about the various herbs and plants she grew. Edie’s interests were in medicines and healing, which was something Jolie hadn’t studied much.
“If you like, I can give you some starter plants to keep inside. Some herbs you might find useful. Once you’re settled in, of course,” Edie said as a man Jolie presumed was Mr. Drexel placed a crate filled with several small glass jars on the countertop.
“That’s very kind of you. I look forward to putting in a garden next spring.” Jolie was about to continue with thoughts on the sorts of plants she wanted to grow, but from behind her, a man cleared his throat.
She turned around, expecting to see another customer hoping to get Mr. Drexel’s attention. But instead, Cade stood there, thumbs tucked over his belt and an expression of curiosity on his face.
Jolie made a quick introduction while Edie gathered the crate into her arms.
