Matt swung around to look and she didn’t expect the sudden movement. She stumbled over her feet and if not for Matt’s firm hold on her, she’d have fallen down in the middle of the dance floor.
“Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?” They were making a bit of a scene in the middle of the dance floor and Lizzie hated drawing attention to herself that way.
Glancing down at her feet, she saw the heel had come off one of her shoes. “Oh no. How can I dance like this?” Matt supported her with an arm around her waist and found a place for her to sit down while he knelt and examined her foot and damaged shoe.
“Are you sure you aren’t hurt?” He removed her broken shoe and ran his hands over her foot and up her calf. Matt held up the destroyed shoe and her heart sank.
She sighed. “And we were having such a nice time. I guess we’re done dancing.”
“Nonsense,” Matt said. “Let me get you some refreshments and then I’ll go home and get you another pair of shoes. They might not be the prettiest, but you can still dance and we’ll enjoy the rest of the night.”
“Oh, Matt. Would you really do that?”
“I promised to take care of you, didn’t I?”
* * *
Minnie’s opinion of buffaloes changed dramatically when a herd stood on the train tracks and made it impossible for them to move, delaying their arrival in Juniper Junction by several hours.
At least she knew Mr. Pendleton wouldn’t get to town any faster than she and Roy would, but still, she was anxious to get off the train.
The train barely came to a stop on the platform when she was at the stairwell ready to hop off.
“Minnie,” Roy called after her. “Be careful. You’re acting like a madwoman.”
“I’ve come all this way, I have to get to her before her father,” Minnie called over her shoulder as she hit the train platform and took off at a trot.
A firm hand on her arm stopped her momentum. Roy had both their bags tucked under one arm and gave her a stern look. “We need to have a talk about personal safety and running off into the dark in a strange town.”
“Fine,” she said, exasperated. “But can we have that talk later? I need to find Elizabeth right away.” She looked up into his face and her heart flipped. They’d arrived in Juniper Junction. Maybe he didn’t want to have anything to do with her anymore. “Um, I’ll take my bag. Thank you. I suppose you have a place to stay and you’ll want to find the sheriff and talk to him about your job. Now that I know you, I trust you with my bracelet. I’m sure you’ll be honest. Thank you for helping me get here.”
She held out her hand for her luggage. Instead, he took hold of it and pulled her against his hard body. “Oh, I’m far from being done with you, little Minnie.” His mouth covered hers in a tender kiss that left her head reeling.
“Wow!” she said when it was over, working to think clearly. “I’d like to do that some more, but we really have to find Elizabeth.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Mr. Pendleton. A shiver of fear ran up her spine but having Roy with her gave her courage.
He saw Mr. Pendleton too and grabbed her hand. “Come on!” The two of them hurried away from the train station.
“Where does she live?”
Minnie halted in her tracks. “Um. That’s a good question. Wait.” She thought for a minute. “Windy River Ranch. Yes, that’s it.”
“Good. Now, do you have any idea where that is?”
Ugh. When he put it like that, she felt like a fool. She’d expected to arrive during daylight and then ask around town. From the letters Matt had written it was clear Juniper Junction wasn’t too large and the ranch was the largest in the area.
A buggy approached and stopped. The driver held up a lantern that illuminated his face. “Can I be of assistance to you folks?”
He had a pretty girl with him and based on the way they were dressed, it seemed like they were going to a party.
“Thank you. We’re looking for Windy River Ranch. Would you be kind enough to point us in the right direction?” Matt asked.
“We’re headed there ourselves,” the man said. “Be glad to give you a ride.”
“We’d appreciate that.” Matt helped Minnie into the buggy then tossed in their bags before hopping in himself.
Minnie didn’t want to be rude, but she sure wished they’d get on their way. Thank goodness these nice people stopped for them. She’d lost track of Mr. Pendleton and had no idea if he was ahead or behind them.
“Thank you for the ride. I hope we aren’t imposing,” Matt said.
“No trouble at all. You folks new to town? Let me be the first to welcome you. I’m Cal Watson, sheriff. And this is my wife, Tassie.”
The sheriff!
“Well, I’m glad to meet you both,” Roy said. “I’m Roy Gantry, your new deputy. And this is Minnie.”
“I didn’t know you were married,” Cal said.
Minnie felt her face flush and she stammered a bit.
“Miss Minnie and I met at the train station. We’re not married.”
Though the words were all true, it still hurt when he said it like that.
* * *
Matt rushed inside the house, not wishing to leave Lizzie alone any longer than necessary. It wasn’t as though she was alone, the whole town was out at Windy River enjoying themselves. But, he was eager to get back and enjoy his wife’s company.
A feeling of satisfaction filled him. Since the incident with the dishes, it seemed like he and Lizzie had dropped the last barrier between them and he felt closer to her every day.
Taking the stairs two at a time, he found a pair of her shoes and turned to leave, but paused for a moment. No doubt she’d appreciate some clean stockings after being at the dance in her stocking feet.
He didn’t know where she kept her frilly things, but he opened the top drawer of her bureau and found just the items he needed. He reached in for a pair of stockings and pulled them out, but they were heavy. Confused, he stepped closer to the window to examine the stocking in the moonlight.
What the hell?
Several wadded up bills fell out and a diamond earring glinted in the moonlight. He dumped the contents on the floor and gasped. He’d never seen that much money before. And though he didn’t know much of anything about jewelry, he knew enough to realize he was looking at a small fortune.
It felt like a punch in the gut. Betrayal and lies. How had he been such a fool?
What was a maid doing with this kind of money and jewels?
His heart thundered in his chest.
She’d lied. That was as obvious as the pile of money on the floor.
Maybe about everything. His whole world spun.
He shoved money and jewelry back into the stocking and put it all in his pocket. His heart was heavy, but he was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.
* * *
“Attention! Attention everyone! The cake auction is about to start.”
Excited murmurs spread through the crowd and everyone moved toward the other room where the cakes were on display.
Oh darn. Lizzie really wanted to see the auction. She wished Matt would hurry back so they could bid on one, too. She glanced toward the door but there was no sign of him.
Well, she wasn’t going to just sit around waiting. Walking unevenly with one shoe, she took a few steps, then realized it would be easier to just go without any shoes at all. Once she took off her shoe she moved toward the rest of the crowd. She could hear laughter and cheers, so they were starting whether she got there or not.
A firm hand wrapped around her upper arm and her heart fluttered.
“Matt!” She turned with a smile.
“Hello, Elizabeth.”
Her blood went cold. She glanced around but everyone had already gone to the cake auction.
“Hello, Father,” she replied, proud that she kept the quaver out of her voice.
Oh lord. Where’s Matt?
“C
ome on, let’s go home.” He yanked on her arm and she stumbled forward.
“I am home,” she protested, trying to pull away from his grip, but she wasn’t strong enough and then she stepped on a stone and stumbled again, making it even easier for him to force her to go with him.
She wanted to call out for help, but she feared drawing too much attention to herself. To the fact that her wealthy father had come to town to drag her back to St. Louis. Revealing to the entire town that she was a liar and a fraud. Panic bubbled through her.
“Stop talking nonsense. Only cows could call this place home.” His voice dripped with arrogance and she remembered how much she despised him.
“I’m married.” She literally dug her heels in, refusing to budge.
He turned to her and rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. You’ve had your little adventure with a cowboy.” He lifted her hand and looked at it, his lips curling up in a sneer. “Tsk, tsk. Your beautiful hands. Now you look like a milkmaid.”
She pulled her hand away. “I am not leaving.”
Where’s Matt? Why wasn’t he back yet?
Her father grabbed her arms painfully. “Listen to me, Elizabeth. We’re leaving and we’re going to put this whole ridiculous incident behind us. I’ll tell Nevie that you were out of town for a few days visiting a sick friend and the wedding will go on as planned.”
By this time they were outside and her fear spiked. She ought to have yelled for help as soon as she recognized her father and now it was too late. The sounds of the cake auction were getting quite raucous. No one would hear her now.
Her father dragged her toward a wagon. She recognized a couple of his henchmen. Of course, her father never went anywhere without them.
“I will not marry Nevie. I will not go with you. I am a married woman. Now leave me alone.”
“If you’re married, where’s your husband?” her father said with a sinister snarl. “Hell, you don’t even have shoes.” He laughed derisively and the two henchmen joined in. The sound sickened her.
“Go to hell,” she spat the words at him and it felt so good. But not as good as it felt when she slapped him across the face. “I love Matt and I’m staying here. I don’t want Nevie. I never did. And I don’t want anything to do with you either. I’m happy here. This is my life now.”
“You stupid, stubborn little tramp.” Her father pulled back his arm and she prepared for the familiar sting of one of his slaps, but it never came.
“Get your hands off my wife.”
Matt! Oh thank goodness. Her knees nearly gave out from relief.
Matt had her father’s hands wrenched behind his back and she could see his eyes bulging and his face reddened with rage. No one interfered with Pennhurst Wentworth Pendleton’s plans.
“Explain yourself,” Matt ordered.
“Gladly,” her father replied. “Elizabeth is my daughter. I have come to take her home with me because she is engaged to be married to an important business associate of mine. She’s not a maid. She’s an heiress. Apparently she felt the need for a little adventure before settling down to life as the wife as one of St. Louis’s most influential citizens. Say your good-byes, because your little game of playing house is over.”
The two men on the wagon jumped down. “Let him go,” Rudy Barr said, taking several menacing steps toward Matt. “We don’t want any trouble with you. We’re just here for the girl.”
“That ‘girl’ is my wife and you’ll take her over my dead body.”
“Well of course he’d say that,” Lizzie’s father answered, “now that he knows you’re an heiress, he can’t bear to let you go.”
Matt shifted so that he held her father by the front of his shirt with one hand and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of cash which he shoved in the face of Pennhurst Pendleton. “Is this why you’re here? To get all this money back?”
Lizzie’s heart plummeted. How had he found the money? Oh, what did it matter now? Could this night get any worse?
Her father scoffed. “Oh, like that’s even worth making the trip over. You see, your sweet little bride, the one whose hands are dry and cracked, is the beneficiary of a trust fund left by her mother. And when she marries, it goes to her.”
“You think I care about a trust fund? Now, you apologize to my wife.” Matt’s voice was low. Dangerously low.
“Here’s my apology.” To her disgust, Lizzie watched as her father spit in her husband’s face.
“I’ve tried to be respectful to you, seeing as you’re my wife’s father. But, you’ve worn out my patience.” Matt socked him in the nose. “Nobody talks to my Lizzie like that.” He gave him a punch in the stomach to emphasize his point.
Mr. Pendleton fell to the dirt, groaning in pain while blood oozed from his nose. She ought to go to her father’s aid, but as she looked at him all she felt was disgust.
Rudy Barr and the other henchman approached Matt. He raised his fists. “Bring it on, you two. I’ve got plenty of fight left in me.”
Oh lord. Lizzie’s heart pounded. She had plenty of faith in Matt but two against one just wasn’t fair.
Rudy and his partner circled around Matt but didn’t seem eager to engage. A primitive urge inside her wanted to see Matt pummel them to the ground.
“There she is! Miss Elizabeth!” A figure came running forward from the darkness.
“Minnie? What are you doing here?”
“I came to warn you.” She looked around. “But I see I’m too late.”
Lizzie just gaped at her former maid. “I-I can’t believe you came all this way just to warn me.”
“Minnie! What the hell are you doing here? I should have known that a good for nothing like you would try to cause problems.” Mr. Pendleton had gotten to his knees. Apparently nothing kept him from hurling insults.
“Don’t you talk to her that way!” A man Lizzie had never seen before strode forward and stood between Minnie and Lizzie’s father.
“Woah, now. Everyone just settle down. I’m the sheriff and we need to get this situation sorted out.” Cal Watson stepped forward.
Movement caught Lizzie’s attention and she looked out to see that several people from the dance had come outside, likely drawn by the loud voices. She recognized Jake and Mr. Conners among them.
“Don’t you tell me to settle down.” Lizzie’s father had no respect for anyone, least of all a sheriff.
Cal stood directly in front of her father. “Now, I spent a few minutes listening to what was going on, hoping you’d act reasonably and leave. I didn’t interfere when Matt gave you what you had coming. But, it doesn’t look like you’ve got the sense to do what’s smart. So, I’m going to have to help you.”
“You can’t do that,” her father sputtered.
Cal called toward the group gathered around. “Mr. Conners, are these men welcome here on your property?”
“No,” Mr. Conners replied, stepping forward. “And I’d be happy to assist you in removing them from the premises.”
“Me too.” Jake stood next to his boss, thick arms folded over his chest.
“Well now,” Cal said to the three intruders, “looks like you men have interrupted our dance.”
“Go to hell.”
Lizzie gasped.
“I’ve had it with your foul mouth,” Matt said. “This ought to take care of that problem.” He slammed his fist into her father’s jaw with a sickening crack.
Chapter 14
“Well,” Matt said when they were finally alone in their bedroom. “It was quite an exciting night.”
Lizzie sat silently on the edge of the bed, hands clasped in her lap to still their trembling. “Yes,” she whispered, blinking back tears. The events of the last few hours came crashing down on her and filled her with foreboding. She glanced up at Matt. He had his jaw clenched.
She swallowed hard and looked away from him. Seeing the hurt and disappointment in his eyes caused her unbearable pain.
In the corner, some crumpled up
bills mocked her.
She’d ruined everything. Her chance at happiness. Her reputation.
Her marriage.
“I am so very, very sorry, Matt,” she said, forcing herself to meet his gaze.
He ran his hand through his hair. “Were you ever going to tell me the truth, Lizzie?” He stared out the window into the darkness. “I bought you those earrings,” he gestured toward them, “thinking that it would be a treat for you to have something pretty to wear.” He bit his lip and turned away from her. She watched his shoulders move up and down as he struggled to maintain his composure.
“I feel like a fool,” he said, moving to stand directly in front of her. “What I thought would be special for you was a trinket, nothing, compared to what you already had. And the times when I prepared a bath for you—something special that no one had ever done for you before—only to find out that you probably couldn’t prepare your own bath if your life depended on it. What else, Lizzie? What else have you lied about? Faked?”
Though she knew she deserved his venom, and worse, his accusations still cut her to the quick.
A tear leaked from the corner of her eye and slid down her cheek. “I love the earrings you bought for me, Matt. I-I know they weren’t the most expensive, but you bought them just for me, because you l-love me.” Oh please, let that last phrase be true. “All that other stuff is family heirlooms. Passed through the generations as though they were the holy grail. But, it’s not.”
She stood and took his hands in hers, relieved when he didn’t pull away. “I love you. I love this house and our life in Juniper Junction. I-I’ll admit I’ve had a few surprises about the way ordinary people live and I’m rather ashamed about the self-indulgent person I’ve been. But, I don’t want that any more. I want you.”
After what felt like an eternity, he responded. “I don’t want to keep you from a better life.”
“Better life? Better than this? Better than being with you? What’s wrong with you, Matthew Foreman? Don’t you think you can measure up? I saw you take on one of the most powerful men in St. Louis and threaten two of his thugs. But you don’t think you can give me a good and happy life?”
Cowboy’s Rules: Brides of Juniper Junction, Book Three Page 10