Montana Sky: Slater's Bride (Kindle Worlds)

by Patricia Thayer

  “At every turn, Henry was there to criticize Johnny until he just stopped trying. He went to our mother, but she took her husband’s word. Johnny said he was leaving, but no one expected him to actually go. And one year turned into another without a word from him. He finally got into contact with the housekeeper, Maggie.”

  Paul didn’t know what to say. “At least you’ve found him, after all these years.”

  “Yes, but he’s changed from the brother I knew so long ago.”

  “If you’re talking about his stubbornness, I’ve always known him to be that way.” He shook his head. “Like a dog with a bone.”

  “Well, Johnny’s going to need a backbone, because I didn’t come all this way to return to Chicago without my brother.”

  Paul smiled, but inside he was cringing at the thought of losing his best friend. He studied the landscape covered by a blanket of snow. The granite mountain peaks and the dense forest of pine, the open prairie. Soon the grass would be rich and lush, enough to feed herds of prime cattle. He couldn’t imagine a prettier place on the face of the Earth. Oh, no, he could never think about leaving.

  ***

  Four hours later, Letty’s excitement had faded to exhaustion. The long ride in the wagon was finally taking its toll. She couldn’t wait until she got to bathe, change her clothes and sleep in a real bed.

  They hit a rut in the road, and she bounced on the hard seat. She grabbed onto the side of the bench as Paul slowed the horses.

  “Sorry. We’re just about there.”

  They rode over the hill and a bridge came into view. After they crossed the river, Letty could see the town. Her excitement grew as she began to see some buildings.

  Paul turned off onto another road.

  “Wait,” she called. “Aren’t we going into town?”

  “No, these horses need rest, and to be in out of the weather in the barn. We’ll go into Morgan’s Crossing in the morning,” Paul said. “I have to warn you, there isn’t much to the town, nothing more than a mining camp. But, the place has been improving since Michael Morgan married Prudence. His wife has made a lot changes. She has been good for the town.”

  “I can wait until morning. I’m not exactly presentable right now.” She looked down at her filthy pants. “My hair must look a fright.”

  Paul glanced at her. Didn’t she know how beautiful she looked, even though her face was smudged with dirt? “You’ll not get any complaints from me. I think you look very nice.”

  “Oh, you’re such a sweet-talker, Paul Slater.”

  “Just being truthful. You’re a pretty girl.”

  She began to laugh. “Don’t let Johnny hear you say that.”

  Paul slowed the horses on the narrow snow-covered road. “I wasn’t planning to announce it to the world. My words were only meant for you to hear.”

  With a flick of his wrists, he got the horse to pick up the pace. Not difficult, as the animals saw the familiar sights. He needed to be home, too. About a quarter mile later, he drove under the archway that appeared over the road, the lettering burnt into the wood read: S Bar D Ranch.

  “Welcome to our ranch,” Paul announced just as the homestead came into view. Over the next rise, a two-story log structure appeared on the hillside, surrounded by large Ponderosa pines and spruce trees. Mainly, the trees were used for shade in the summer and a windbreak. About fifty yards from the house was their newly built barn and a corral. Paul was relieved to see some of the herd grazing on bales of hay perched on the snow-covered landscape.

  Letty let out a gasp. “Oh, Paul, this is lovely.”

  “It isn’t perfect, but pretty darn close.” He drove the wagon up to the house, pulled the brake and jumped down. He started around to assist Letty.

  Johnny was right there to help his sister. “I’ll assist her,” he said.

  Paul nodded. “Sure. Help me unload the supplies and bags, so I can take care of the horses.” He grabbed one of the wooden boxes off the back and added, “Where’s the rest of the herd?”

  Johnny shook his head. “I drove all I could find in from the south pasture when the storm moved in.”

  Paul wasn’t happy about that. They couldn’t afford to lose any more cattle.

  Johnny took his sister’s arm and escorted her up the porch steps to the log cabin. “I hope you’re not disappointed with the house. Paul and I have been putting most of our resources into the cattle operation.”

  “Johnny, stop it. I’ve been sleeping in a shack for the past two days, and before that I lived in a convent with a single bed and only a dresser.”

  Paul tried not to let the news about the herd bother him. He would go find them tomorrow. Instead, he watched sadness change his friend’s expression.

  “Oh, sissy, I’m sorry,” he said. “I had no idea…”

  Letty raised a hand. “We’ll talk later. Take me inside, I’m freezing.”

  Johnny nodded and opened the door that led into a large open space.

  It was dark and damp feeling, but he quickly lit a couple of lanterns. Paul took the box of supplies into the kitchen in back. He returned to the main room and went to a large stone fireplace. Adding some kindling to the logs on the grate, he struck a match and held it close until it caught fire.

  He glanced around the spacious main room. The log and chinked walls were void of any pictures, and the rough pine floors only had a small rug in front of the settee, and there were two chairs on either side. He was glad that the place had been tidied up before he left on the trip.

  “Johnny, Paul, your home is lovely.” She glanced up at the open staircase.

  “Thank you,” Johnny said. “We bought the place from a man who’d struck it rich gold mining. When the vein dried up, he moved his family back to Butte. We got a good deal, and they left most of the furniture because shipping it was too expensive.”

  Letty smiled. “Did they leave an extra bed for me?”

  “Of course, let me take you there.” Her brother rushed over and took her valise. “Here, let me carry this upstairs. You can have the room next to mine.” He sent a knowing look to Paul, as if to tell him to stay away.

  Well, that was great. All he did was try to help and this was his thanks.

  ***

  Letty rolled over in the bed and automatically reached out next to her. Her fingers made contact with the cotton sheet that covered the thin mattress. She raised her head off the pillow to look for Paul, and then was disappointed, seeing the unfamiliar room. The walls were log, and there was a dresser and a beveled mirror hung above it. A desk in the corner was piled high with papers and books all along the surface.

  She smiled. She’d made it to Montana territory and found Johnny. She climbed out of bed and her bare feet touched the carpet over the wooden floors. She opened the curtains to see bright sunlight, and a little snow still covered the ground. Although, from the signs of the water dripping from the roof, it was quickly melting. Good. They could leave soon and go back to Chicago to help Mother.

  She started to step away when something caught her eye—a man on horseback. She quickly recognized the heavy jacket. Paul. He was riding Simon back to the barn. He had probably gone out to check on the herd. She was a little sad how he had disappeared last night so she and Johnny could talk. Or had it been her brother who sent Paul away? Surely, Johnny didn’t think his best friend would take advantage of her?

  Letty walked to the dresser and the porcelain basin. Had she been too forward with Paul? She'd let him kiss her. No, she practically insisted on it, but he seemed to enjoy the experience. Didn’t he?

  Shaking her head, she poured water from the pitcher Johnny had brought up to her room last night and began to wash. She couldn’t think about the man. She had to convince her brother to go back to Chicago. And she didn’t think that would be so easy, but nothing about this trip had been easy.

  ***

  Paul sat across from Johnny at the kitchen table. They’d had breakfast and were finishing their coffee. He was t
ired of his friend’s foul mood. “I don’t know why you’ve got a burr under your saddle. Nothing happened with Letty. I told you, I met her on the train and discovered she was looking for you. I let her know I was going to Morgan’s Crossing. I did everything possible to get her to stay in Sweetwater Springs while I came to fetch you and bring you to her.”

  Johnny nodded. “And she refused.”

  “That’s correct. Believe me, she was coming here come hell or high water. Or should I say snow?” He leaned forward. “And what you saw in the way station was the two of us trying to stay warm.”

  “Hell, I know I can trust you.” Johnny stood and walked across the big kitchen to the oak cabinet that housed the dishes and silverware. He leaned against the wooden counter. “I’m just wondering what I’m going to do with her out here.”

  “What do you mean? Aren’t you going back to Chicago? Your mother’s ill.”

  Johnny ran his fingers through his hair. “Hell, I’m not sure she is. Elisabeth Drennan has told her share of lies over the years to get her way.”

  “You believe your mother staged this…illness?”

  Johnny shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe her new husband doesn’t let her have her way like my father did.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Let’s just say it’s difficult to trust a woman who shuts the door on her son. And Henry Jensen was clever enough to force me out of the business. Mark my word, he’ll find a way to get rid of any Drennan who stands in his, or his son’s, way.”

  “What about Letty? You can’t believe she’d lie to you about something this serious?” Paul couldn’t imagine the person he’d gotten to know over the past two days would do this to her brother.

  “Did I hear my name?”

  Paul turned to see Letty in the doorway. She was dressed in her travel skirt, minus the jacket, and a different blouse. She looked fresh and pretty.

  “Good morning, sissy.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m so happy to see you, brother, I don’t even care if you use that ridiculous nickname. But be warned, my patience is wearing thin. I’m not that little girl anymore.”

  Letty felt both men watching her. She didn’t care what they thought about her outburst. She'd made a promise to bring Johnny home. He needed to fulfill his obligation to the Drennan family. Problem was, she couldn’t understand or know what her brother was thinking. After only two days together, she almost felt she knew Paul Slater better than her full-grown brother, who she’d adored growing up.

  Once Johnny had settled her into her room, exhausted, she’d gone right to bed, so this was her first good look around the kitchen. She walked over to the large cast iron stove and opened the oven door. Nice. Must be another item that the last tenant left behind. “This is quite something.” She turned around to the window that looked out to the endless prairie. Below it was a pump handle with a spout that led to a sink. “You’ve done very well in Montana, brother. I’d say that’s going to make it harder to leave here.”

  “Who said anything about leaving?”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Letty stood, gaping at her brother.

  Paul excused himself from the room and quickly walked out.

  “What do you mean you aren’t going back?” she demanded. “Our mother could be dying. Don’t you care?”

  Johnny frowned at her. “I care plenty, but she turned her back on her own son, and on you, too. Banished me from the house because I wouldn’t follow orders from…from that man.”

  That was something they both could agree upon. “I know she didn’t mean to send you away. Father loved and adored her. After his death, she didn’t have any mind of her own. Mother couldn’t stand to be without someone fawning over her.”

  “So she had to marry Jensen?” Johnny asked. “That wasn’t bad enough, she allowed him to take over our family business.” He puffed out his chest.

  Letty saw the Drennan pride.

  “Father taught me, his son, about the business. I was supposed to take over the plant one day.”

  “Everything you’ve said is true, Johnny. Mother feels remorse now, and I think Henry is doing something to her…to control her.”

  Johnny frowned. “Don’t you know? Aren’t you living in the house?”

  Letty glanced away. “I have a job that requires me to live away.”

  He studied her. “You left home?”

  She held her head high. “Yes, you weren’t the only one who was thrown out of the house. Mother wanted me to do everything Henry’s way. I could not. That was why I took a teaching position at St. Mary’s.”

  ”You, the wild child.” Johnny tossed his head back and laughed. “It’s still hard to believe you live in a convent.”

  Suddenly, she was reminded of their father. Tears filled her eyes.

  Her brother looked at her. “What’s the matter, sissy?”

  She blinked. “You look and act so much like Father. I miss him so, Johnny.”

  He went to her and cradled her close in his strong arms.

  She shut her eyes. Oh, how she’d missed this, having someone to lean on again. A sudden memory flashed in her head of two nights ago and Paul Slater, how he'd held her close, comforting her.

  “So do I, Letty.” His voice grew rough. “I miss him every day.”

  She pulled back and said, “Then save his legacy, Johnny. He built the family meat packing plant from nothing. Father wanted us to have it.” She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out the sealed envelope that Maggie had given her.

  “You need to read this.” She handed him the envelope with his name written across the front.

  He stared at it. “What is it?”

  Letty shook her head. “It’s from Mother. I’m sure it’s personal, so I didn’t want to intrude.”

  He shoved it back toward her. “I don’t want to hear anything she has to say. It’s too late.”

  “Johnny, no. She still is our mother. I know she’s made mistakes, and her husband is making her pay for all of them. I’m afraid he’s holding her prisoner in the house.”

  Johnny’s shoulders stiffened. “It’s a prison she’s chosen to live in. She didn’t care that I left with nothing when her husband threw me out. I have a business here and a home. I won’t go crawling back to be under his thumb.”

  He marched to the back door and paused. “I have chores to do, but I’ll be back by supper.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.

  She stared at Johnny’s back until the door close and she collapsed in the chair at the table. “What do I do now?” She gripped the edge of the table to hold down her panic. First thing, she had to find out if Mother was all right.

  The door opened and she glanced up, hoping to see Johnny.

  It was Paul.

  She couldn’t hide her look of disappointment. “Sorry, I was hoping my stubborn brother would come to his senses and decide to talk with me calmly.”

  Silently, Paul went to the stove and poured some coffee into two cups. He brought them to the table and set one down in front of her.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “I can fix you some breakfast.”

  She shook her head. “I’m so upset, I couldn’t eat.”

  Paul smiled. “I think you’re just tired of bacon and eggs.”

  That brought a smile to her lips. “Well, I’m thinking that maybe a home-cooked meal might be just what we all need.” She wasn’t giving up on her brother. First she had to let Maggie know she made here safely. “Paul, could you take me into town this morning?”

  He arched an eyebrow. “I’m sure Johnny would like to show you around Morgan’s Crossing.”

  “He’s too busy sulking.” She went to the pantry and checked the sparse contents. “Besides, I need a few items for myself, and for that supper I promised you.”

  He placed his hand on her arm. “Look, Letty, you don’t have to fix any meals. I was just teasing you.”

  She liked how easy the conversation with this man was. If only Johnny…She put a
stop to her thoughts. “The least you deserve is a home-cooked meal. Now that I’ve seen my obstinate brother, I realize you’ve earned it.”

  They both broke out in laughter.

  Quickly, she allowed the sadness take over. She began to cry.

  Paul stood up and rushed around the table, kneeling in front of her as he took her hand. “Hey, now. Don’t go getting all weepy on me. You’ve survived a blizzard and two nights in a cabin with me.” He brushed a tear off her cheek. “You can handle Johnny Mac. Just give it a little time.”

  She nodded. “I’ll try.”

  “Good, now go wash up, and I’ll take you into town. Are you hungry? I’m sure Bertha is still serving breakfast at the boarding house.”

  She stood up. “Who’s Bertha?”

  “Just one of many nice people who live in this town. Believe me, there are plenty of them.”

  ***

  An hour later, Paul drove the buckboard up to the house. He smiled when Letty came out the door. She had on her coat and that matching plumed hat. Even though the temperature had warmed by twenty degrees from yesterday, it was still a little chilly. He jumped down. “You look lovely, Miss Loretta.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Slater.”

  He helped her up onto the seat, then went back to his side and climbed on. “I’ll tell you when we get to the edge of town, because I don’t want you to blink and miss it.”

  That brought a smile to her pretty bow-shaped mouth. He turned away. He had no business thinking about her mouth, or any other part of her body. He sucked in a deep breath of air, hoping to cool off.

  They crossed the bridge over the Morgan River, and Letty asked, “Is everything named after this man?”

  Paul grinned. “Well, Michael does own the town. A few years ago, this was just a mining camp. Then the miners began to move their families here because of the work at the mine. And if Michael’s wife, Prudence, has any say, there will be more businesses coming here.”

  He drove down the one main street and parked the team off to the side in front of the company store. “Mrs. Morgan has made improvements, but the general store still lacks a lot of items.”