Page 40 of The Promise
His gaze met hers, some of the pain easing from his face. He turned back to the painting. "He was meeting us at the station. Even at the end, he didn't have time to come up the mountain." Cara felt tears well up in her eyes. His voice was so bitter.
"Mother asked Zach if she could ride along as far as Silverthread. She kissed my father, gave me a hug, then hopped up on the wagon and blew kisses at us until they were out of sight." He paused, wiping a hand angrily across his face. "I never saw her again."
Cara waited for more, but the silence hung between them as heavy as a wet blanket. Finally, she asked the question, not knowing for sure if she wanted to hear the answer. "What happened?"
"She ran off with Zach Bowen and took the silver with her."
"You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure." His voice was harsh. "I didn't believe it at first, wouldn't believe it. But the evidence was there. First Owen saw it and then my father. Finally, I had no choice but to accept it."
She ran a hand along his cheek. "I know a little about that. What it's like to refuse to believe something and have people keep pounding it into your head, insisting that their version of reality is the truth."
He covered her hand, drawing it to his lips for a kiss, his eyes gentle again. "But in your case, they were wrong."
"Maybe your mother?—"
"No. The evidence was real. She deserted us for a comely man and a wagonload of silver bars." He dropped her hand and shrugged. "It was a long time ago." She watched as the absolute truth of what he'd just said sank in. "A hell of a long time ago."
Cara exhaled slowly, her heart breaking for him. "Can you help me get this into the crate?" She kept her voice matter of fact.
Together they eased the painting into its wooden box. When it was finally lodged safely inside, the air in the room seemed to brighten and the somber mood dissipated, as though the painting itself had evoked the memories and accompanying emotions.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat." Maybe discovering pizza would help keep his mind off the past, at least for a while.
"If you liked pizza,just wait until you try Ben and Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie ice cream." Cara swung their joined hands between them, a satisfied smile on her face.
Again, he had the feeling that this was life as it was supposed to be, the most pressing issue what to eat for dessert. But he had a life elsewhere, responsibilities, and Cara had a life here. As if to punctuate the thought, Nick Vargas stepped out of a sleek automobile parked by the curb a few feet in front of them.
"Cara, darling." Nick strode toward them, a smile breaking across his face. Michael noticed that it failed to reach his eyes. "How wonderful to see you here." He ran his hungry gaze over Cara. Michael tightened his hold on her hand, feeling suddenly proprietary. "Why don't you andyour friendjoin me for a drink? It'll be my treat. An apology for this afternoon."
"It's a lovely thought, Nick. But we can't. I'm determined to introduce Michael to ice cream."
"Introduce?"
Michael jumped in, trying to cover Cara's blunder and avoid further questions. "Yes, Cara tells me that Belle's has particularly good ice cream. Something called Ben and Jerry's?" The irony of the fact that Belle's was a prosperous bordello in his time,did not escape him. It seemed the building was predestined for confections of one kind or another.
"Pity. I could have showed Michael the bar."
Michael frowned, and looked at Cara in askance.
"Nick owns the Blue Spruce. It's the only bar in town." She pointed behind them at a building across the street. Michael felt the hairs on his arm rise. It was the Irish Rose.
Everything different. Everything the same.
He felt suddenly like he had fallen deep into a nightmare and couldn't wake up. As if sensing his feelings Cara squeezed his hand. "Maybe another time, Nick. But it's late. I think it's ice cream and then home for me."
"All right. I'll let you off this time." Nick smiled at Cara, his expression relaxing. It was almost as if they'd passed some kind of test. "But next time you're in town, the drinks are on me, Cara mia." Nick's words caressed her, and Michael fought the urge to slug him.
Perhaps sensing his animosity, the man shifted his icy gaze to Michael, sizing him up. "You said your name's Macpherson, didn't you? I think there used to be a family around here by that name. Any relation?"
"No." No sense in giving the man ammunition against Cara. Besides it was none of his damn business.
"Hmm…" Nick pulled out a silver pocket watch and checked the time. "Well, much as I've enjoyed our little chat, I'm afraid I've got to run. I'm expecting some friends at the bar, and it would be rude not to be there to greet them. I'll call you later, darling." He tipped an imaginary hat at Cara and was gone, disappearing into the night.
"Ice cream then?" Cara tried for light-hearted and missed by a mile.
Still, it was nice to walk up the street with her. If he ignored the assortment of odd items displayed in the windows, he couldalmost believe he was walking down the street inhisown time.Almost.
