Chapter Twenty-Six
Runa kept a pleasant smile on her face despite the heat of the day, though the soft breeze helped things, as did the awning that the baked goods booth was under. She was put to work cutting pies and cakes, serving the slices to those who were buying individual portions. She had laughed when Junior stepped up to the stand early on and purchased an entire razzleberry pie, declaring that he was going to eat it himself. Without sharing with anyone else.
“Jonathan Juniper, you’re going to eat yourself sick and you won’t be able to enjoy the fried chicken I made for supper tonight.” She laughed, even as she retrieved the pie for him.
“Oh, I’ll still be able to do your fried chicken justice, Missus Rogers, I promise.” The young man said as he took the pie from her. “That’s why I’ve got to start eating the pie now.”
“If he wants the stomachache, he’s welcome to it as long as he pays for it.” Pepper called from where she was handling the money for the wares people were buying.
“Just pace yourself.” Runa told Junior firmly, watching him go. “… I’m just glad he didn’t decide to try that with a cake.” She murmured, before going back to serving.
Runa was able to share a few words with everyone she served, but not much more than that as they did quite a brisk business. Time flew by, and Wanda Maximoff, a young woman only a little younger than Runa herself, came to relieve her as another customer stepped up.
“I’ll take a slice of any cake baked by Miss Freydis. Oh, I’m sorry, it’s Missus Rogers now, isn’t it?”
Runa felt as if she had been plunged into an ice bath at the sound of that voice. Rich, masculine, and very familiar.
“Mister Brock, what a surprise.” She forced herself to smile up at the man, who had a tin plate ready for a slice of cake.
“A pleasant one, I hope.”
Pleasant? How could it be pleasant when her heart was hammering so hard she thought it was going to burst from her chest? She wondered if his mother had sent him to make certain she had followed through with things and married Steve. Then she wondered if he was here to cause trouble, tell Steve about what had happened when she was fifteen.
Dear God, she hoped not.
She could feel the panic taking hold, and she turned away from the smiling man with the sharp brown eyes, his gaze piercing through her, peeling her away and seeing all her secrets.
“You know Mister Rumlow?” Pepper asked, looking over at them in surprise. Or course Pepper knew who he was, he was probably staying at her boarding house Runa thought, even as she wondered what else Pepper knew.
“Mister Brock is... Well…” Runa stumbled over the words, not certain how to explain it. The son of her father’s business partner? The son of her former employer? The man who had seduced a lonely fifteen-year-old girl who had just wanted to be loved? Lord, no. They can’t find out, or I’ll be ruined.
“I’m an old friend from back East.” Brock smiled at Pepper as Runa looked away and cut him a slice of chocolate cake. “I confess, I’m quite surprised to see her here. I hadn’t realized that I would be travelling to her part of Texas.”
“My father and uncle were both good friends with Mister Brock’s father. They were business partners.” Runa said as she placed the slice of cake on Brock’s plate and stepped away to pull off her borrowed apron, wondering how she could escape, make it back to the ranch with Steve so that Brock didn’t have a chance to talk to him. Maybe I can say I’m not feeling too well…
“You two must want to catch up.” Wanda smiled as she took the apron from Runa.
“I need to find Steve-”
“Of course. He’ll want to meet Mister Rumlow as well.” Pepper smiled. Runa somehow managed to smile at her as well.
“Of course.” She agreed, truly feeling nauseous now, though she kept a smile on her face. “He should be here any time now.”
“Let’s go stand over in the shade of the building while we wait for him.” Brock suggested, offering Runa his arm. She took it somewhat reluctantly, trying not to show it, trying not to reveal that anything was not as it should be.
“What brings you to Amaranto Springs, Mister Brock?” She ventured as he led her to the shade cast by the church building.
“I’m taking over more of Father’s business dealings. He wanted to see about breaking into the cattle industry, and heard about a rancher who might be willing to sell, or at least take on a private backer.” Brock drawled. “I only reached town yesterday.”
“Well, I hope that your business deal goes well for everyone involved.” Runa said as she tried to surreptitiously scan the crowd for Steve, pulling her arm. “Oh! And congratulations on your marriage. I remember overhearing that you were to wed in June.”
“My bride got cold feet and left me at the altar.” He said simply, seemingly untroubled. “I must confess, I am pleased to see you. I’ve been rather worried about you.”
“What?” She looked at him, startled. Him, worried? About her? Had the world turned sideways at some point and she hadn’t noticed? His mother had all but forced her into marriage to a stranger, his father had been cold and distant her entire life, and Brock had been flirtatious and mildly antagonizing since his father had caught the two of them together.
“Mother told me you ran off to be a mail order bride. Gave everything up to marry someone you knew nothing about.”
“Steve seemed very kind in his letters.” She replied automatically, mind racing. His mother hadn’t told him she was the one to put all this in motion? Of course she wouldn’t, she wouldn’t want to tie her name to Runa’s in any way, shape, or form. Donna Rumlow had always acted as if Runa was lower than the dirt beneath her feet and wasn’t worth the room and board she had been provided, no matter how hard she worked.
“But isn’t so kind in reality?” Brock raised a brow at her.
“I didn’t say that.” Runa hastened.
“No, you didn’t.” He agreed, tasting his cake. “This is quite good. Almost as good as what Iris makes.”
“Well, she is the one who taught me to cook and bake, so I hope it’s nearly as good.” Runa couldn’t help but smile slightly at that. She liked receiving compliments, even if she didn’t quite like the person giving them. She still wasn’t certain what to feel regarding Brock, only that she was no longer attracted to him. Oh, she still thought him handsome, but he no longer made her stomach twist and heart flutter in pleasant ways.
Now it was just worry and fear.
“You are a credit to her. Why don’t you tell me a bit about life here, while we wait for your husband to arrive? He’s a rancher, isn’t he?”
“Yes. Bluestone Ranch.”
“How far away from town is this ranch of his? Close enough for a drive to town on Sundays?” The words rankled a bit, made Runa feel as if he was trying to belittle her, imply she didn’t belong there and had no claim to the ranch. She fought back a sigh and a scowl. He probably hadn’t meant it like that. She was too sensitive, too on edge because of his sudden appearance. He likely only wanted to learn about ranching and what Bluestone was like for his business ventures. She’d tell him what little she could, and hope it was enough for him to leave her alone afterwards.
~*~
Steve hurried into the church yard, a little out of breath from his haste. He had lost track of the time, and nearly three hours had passed since Sam had delivered the message that Runa would be working at the booth for two hours. He had been too caught up in spending time with Bucky and watching the horse races, and had a feeling Runa was going to be furious when he did find her in the crowd.
It’s a wonder she doesn’t just pack up and go back East. Steve thought with a sigh as he checked the baked goods stand first, hoping she might have stuck around to help until his arrival, but she wasn’t there. He looked about, starting to feel a bit worried as he searched for her petite form in the crowd.
When he saw her, his stomach clenched almost painfully, his heart dropping. She was near the church building in the shade, talking to a handsome man that Steve had never seen before; a man with black hair and a fine suit that rivalled the ones worn by Tony Stark. Runa was smiling at the man, who was smiling back at her, teeth flashing as he did. Steve could tell that the stranger was practically devouring her with his eyes, not trying to be subtle about it in the slightest.
And she was smiling at him.
Steve clenched his jaw and strode towards them. As he approached, he saw Runa scan the crowd. When her eyes fell on him Steve saw a peculiar look cross her features, but it was gone too quickly for him to be certain if it was relief or guilt. “Steve.” She smiled at him as he drew closer.
“Runa.” He managed to smile at her as he stepped close to her, looking over the stranger. “Who is your friend?”
“This is Brock Rumlow. I’ve told you a bit about him, I think.” She said, turning to face Brock, even as she took Steve’s arm, which rather surprised him. She wasn’t usually so clingy. Again, he wondered if her expression had been guilt or relief… And why. “Mister Brock, this is my husband, Steve Rogers.”
Brock looked Steve over, and somehow, Steve had the feeling he was found wanting. “Mister Rogers.” Brock held out a hand and Steve reached to shake it. He had a firm handshake, a little too firm, as if he was testing Steve. “It’s good to meet the man who snatched up our little Runa.” He drawled.
“I wouldn’t call it snatching, exactly.” Something about this man made the hair on the back of Steve’s neck stand on end, a feeling that there was danger here. Steve tried to shake the feeling off, told himself it was just jealousy. Jealousy. Now there was something he shouldn’t be feeling, not with how he had treated his wife since her arrival. Hell, he probably deserved this, Runa running off with some other man. “What brings you to Amaranto Springs, Mister Rumlow? I wasn’t aware that we were expecting any visitors.”
“Oh, I didn’t come for a visit, I came here for business. My father has placed me in charge of a new venture. I didn’t expect to run into Runa here; I was aware she was in Texas, but not precisely where. Talking to her this afternoon has been… Pleasant.” There was something in the way he said that last word that Steve didn’t like at all, and either Runa didn’t like it or she liked it too much, because she gripped Steve’s arm a bit tighter. Steve didn’t look down at her. “I’ll be taking my leave now that I know Runa is being taken care of.”
Steve clenched his jaw again, but before he could say anything, Runa’s soft voice cut through the air, though this time her tone was sharp and cold. Even when she had been furious at him, Steve had never heard her take that tone before.
“Mister Brock.”
The words themselves were the chastisement, but Brock merely gave her a slow grin, tipping his bowler hat to her, before doing the same to Steve, though the look he received from Brock was far different from the one Runa had. They watched Brock go, Runa still hanging onto Steve’s arm, not making any more to release him once Brock had moved off through the crowd.
“You seemed quite comfortable with him.” Steve could have kicked himself at the words that came out of his mouth, at the tone. Even if Runa had been leading the man on, she didn’t deserve that. Not after what he had done and how she had finally agreed to forgive him for his transgression.
“Looks can sometimes be deceiving.” She said quietly. “I was waiting for you. I couldn’t go off looking for you on my own, not with him trying to escort me everywhere. I thought… I thought it best to remain in one place and wait for you.”
Steve felt some of his anger ebb away. So. She had been relieved to see him. “Well, I’m here now.”
“You are.” She smiled up at him, and Steve could see the relief written clearly on her features now. “Even if you are a bit late.”
Steve reached up his free hand to rub at the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Bucky and I were watching the races out by the train tracks. I lost track of time. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll forgive you, if you make good on that promise to share your watermelon and lemonade with me.”
Steve laughed at her words and the easy, teasing tone she had taken. “All right. How about we see about the watermelon first?”