FLAME SERIES #20 SO SWEET THE SMILE

CHAPTER 5

Fatherly Advice

Calleigh refilled her coffee while she waited for a slice of pie. She motioned toward her dad's cup and he shoved it forward. "It was beyond strange. First of all, she did not want me in the house. And they flat out lied to me."

"On the ride out there I saw Gaith and Cicely up on the hill by Bricker's ranch. Then…" As interesting as the tale was, Calleigh had to stop when Nettie slid a fresh slice of pie under her nose.

"Ahh, this smells so good." She scooped in the first bite. "I couldn't believe that woman didn't offer me a piece of pie. How rude."

Matt broke proper etiquette and rested his elbow on the table. With his face resting against his hand he watched his daughter attack the fresh baked pastry. "Calleigh? The Raggers?"

"Oh, yeah." With a gulp of coffee to wash down the bite she continued. "She told me Cicely was lying down because she had been reading all night. Why would she lie about that?"

"Why indeed?" Matt stared absently at the people around them. "I have to admit, they are strange. In two months they haven't made friends with anyone. Even Bodkins asked me about them. He said that when John Ragger signed the papers on the ranch, he was very evasive. Didn't want to talk about his family or where they were coming from."

"I was looking at the pictures on the piano. Everything appeared normal up to a point. The wedding picture, baby pictures of Cicely and several family shots. Not a single picture of the younger girl."

"None?" Calleigh offered a firm shake of her head. Becoming a father had made Matt even more sensitive to the welfare of other children. "Do you think they are abusing her?"

"No. Mrs. Ragger was firm when she called to the little girl but not mean or threatening. Trisha was clean and dressed nice." A brief smile surfaced. "She has a bear named Muffin. All three of them have this look in their eyes..."

"Fear?"

Calleigh winced as she tried to think of an accurate description. "They're afraid but they also look exhausted. Whatever is scaring them has been going on for some time."

"I don't like to interfere in family matters but maybe we should keep a watch on the little girl. Just to make sure she's not being mistreated."

Another bite was in route when something else popped into her memory. "One other thing. When I first got there I was talking to Trisha. She asked me if scary was the same as sick."

"What does that mean?" Matt let his elbow drop off the edge of the wooden surface. "Did she say anything else?"

"No. I think she would have but her mother came out and put a stop to any further conversation. I think Kitty was right. Gaith doesn't need to get mixed up with this girl." The last bite disappeared between a pair of full lips. "You need to talk to him."

"Me!" His reaction was the same as it had been at dinner. "No, it's none of my business."

"Of course it is. Kitty was right, he respects you."

Matt took on a bit of a smirk complete with a single arched brow. "I know this is going to shock you but Kitty is not always right. He's not going to want to talk to me about his personal-"

"Marshal." Gaith's sudden appearance beside the table startled both Dillons. He acknowledged Calleigh with a nod then turned his attention back to her dad. "Marshal I wonder if I could talk to you…" The young man shuffled his feet nervously. "…About a personal problem."

The look that passed between father and daughter was priceless. "Then again, maybe she is." Calleigh whispered under her breath as she rose from her seat. "I'll leave you two alone."

Matt pulled himself to his feet. "Why don't we go over to the office and talk?"

===()()()===

Matt came out of the washroom only to find Kitty perched on her knees in the center of the bed. Wearing a cat-ate-the-canary grin, she waited silently.

With a roll of his eyes, Matt stepped closer to the bed. "Calleigh told you!"

"Told me that I was right, or told me that Gaith confided in you?" Her smile was almost unable to contain her excitement.

It still amazed him that Kitty could look so young when she was excited. "Well I'm glad Calleigh told you. Now we all know that you were right." He gave her a gentle push, knocking her back onto her side of the bed, then pulled down the spread.

"What are you doing?" She had to scoot out of the way as he pulled the cover out from under her.

"I'm going to bed. What does it look like?" He climbed in between the sheets and turned down the light.

The room scarcely had time to accept the dark and had no tolerance for the silence. Kitty scrambled over the big, resting body to turn the wick back up. The flickering light was instantly welcomed back into the room.

"Oh no you don't!" She continued to lay across the muscular chest. "I knew you wouldn't talk about it at dinner because it's private, but WE don't have anything private."

He laughed as he pulled her down for a quick kiss. "Oh we don't, huh?"

"Talk mister!"

Matt pulled himself up, stuffing his pillow between his back and the headboard. "Okay, get comfortable so I can tell you what he said. This is just between us – right?" That was a trick question since he knew she would have to tell Calleigh.

This ethical dilemma brought with it a troubled pout. Matt could see the wheels turning under that fiery red hair. She was just too cute to mess with. "All right, you, me - and Calleigh."

Guilt was lost in an exuberant grin. She relaxed across his muscular chest, propping herself up on one elbow, to give herself a front row seat to his handsome face.

+"What did Gaith say?"

"The boy is definitely smitten with this Cicely Ragger. She told him her father is abusive and Gaith, being the kind of boy he is – wants to take her away from all that and marry her."

"Marry her!" Those words brought Kitty upright on the bed. "I hope you told him no."

"Calm down baby." Gentle hands pushed her back down. "Kitty, I can't tell him no. He is an adult. He came to me for help because he feels obligated to rescue her. I did ask him to slow down a bit, until I could find out what exactly is going on."

"Abusive? Calleigh told me how solemn the younger daughter was. Do you think there's any truth in her story?"

Matt's brow furrowed as he contemplated her question. "Nailing the window shut because his teenage daughter sneaks out, is not what I would call abusive. But…there is something strange going on in that family."

"He's not going to do anything rash – is he?"

"I'll be honest, she's got him mesmerized but he did promise me he would wait." Matt began to play with the long, flaming locks. "He confessed that this was his first love. Those are always the hardest to get over."

Kitty let her head drop, peering up under half closed lids. "How long did it take you to get over your first?"

Matt pulled her up until she was securely in his arms. "I don't know." His lips came down over hers in a long, sweet kiss. "I haven't gotten over her yet."

Kitty snuggled into his embrace. "Come on cowboy. I am not your first love."

Loving hands had already found their way to her most vulnerable spots. She arched back, silently urging him to continue. His lips brushed against her cheek. His warm breath tickled the soft skin on her neck, sending shivers down her spine. "Those were only imitations. You are the only one to ever own my heart."