Montana Sky: Slater's Bride (Kindle Worlds)

by Patricia Thayer

  “And I will continue to pray that you don’t have to. That you will be married until you are old and gray.” She gave him a teary smile. “Now, you go back in there, Paul Slater, and tell her how much she means to you.”

  Paul thought back to the snooty woman who first came to Morgan’s Crossing as Michael’s wife. He’d judged her too harshly. “Thank you, Prudence.” He got to his feet and went back inside to be with the woman he loved.

  ***

  The following morning, just before dawn, El Davis drove the team of mules out of the way station that carried supplies and two passengers in his wagon.

  Johnny had paid double the fee to get El to drive on less rest. He glanced at his mother, seated in the back. He was sure she wanted to complain about her accommodations, but she remained silent. He’d offered her the opportunity to stay back in Sweetwater Springs at Mrs. Murphy’s boarding house, but she was adamant about being with her daughter.

  Maybe Elisabeth Drennan was truly changing her ways.

  With only a few hours' rest, she’d climbed into the wagon, eager to get to their destination.

  Johnny hadn’t cared about sleep, either. His only concern was for his sister. He’d been praying since they’d received the telegram that she would be well by the time they arrived at Morgan’s Crossing.

  Finally, after several hours on the road, El Davis slowed the team as they approached the bridge leading into town.

  “Where do you want me to drop you off?” the driver asked.

  “Doc Rye’s cabin,” Johnny said as the wagon continued down the dirt street. He looked back at his mother. She was dressed in a navy travel suit and a straw hat with flowers. She had her matching parasol open, protecting her from the bright sunlight. “We’re nearly there, Mother.”

  Elisabeth nodded from the bench that he’d padded with blankets to help soften the seat for the long trip.

  Johnny glanced up and down Main Street, recalling how it used to look, but just in the past year, so many improvements and new buildings were being constructed. Soon there would be a school. Maybe after this incident with Letty, Michael would hire some protection for the town.

  El pulled up in front of Doc’s cabin.

  Although the facility wasn’t the best, Johnny knew that at one time Doctor Rye Rawlins was an excellent physician from San Francisco.

  The teamster pulled the brake as Johnny jumped down.

  “Thanks, El.”

  “For the kind of money you’re payin’, any time, Johnny.” The teamster climbed down and removed the bags, then tipped a hat at the female passenger. “Ma’am, it was a pleasure.”

  Johnny assisted his mother down from the back.

  “It was also my pleasure, Mr. Davis.” Elisabeth reached out her gloved hand and shook the man’s hand. “I thank you for getting here so swiftly.”

  “My pleasure, ma’am.” El watched as the mother and son walked up to the front door.

  Inside Letty’s room, Paul had turned her body as Rye previously instructed. The different positions were to help improve her circulation and so she wouldn’t get bedsores. He hated that Letty had to go through this ordeal. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I hope I made you comfortable.”

  He stroked her soft golden hair, then leaned down to kiss her cheek, and he placed another on her lips. That was when he felt something different. He lingered as slowly her lips move against his. He heard her groan, then she began to kiss him back.

  Oh, dear Lord in heaven. He gripped her arms and let her continue to kiss him. Finally, he couldn’t stand it any longer and broke off the kiss. “That’s it, love, come back to me.”

  Letty heard Paul’s voice in her dream, but she couldn’t find the strength to move. Then his mouth touched hers. She wanted to cry out, to yell, but it was as if her body was weighted down. All she could do was kiss him back.

  He released her. “Letty, wake up. I’m here for you. Just wake up, sweetheart.”

  Didn’t he know she was trying to do that very thing? No matter how hard she tried, all she could manage was a groan.

  “I hear you, Letty,” Paul said. “I’m here. I’m waiting, but you have to really want to wake up.”

  I do! she cried silently.

  Suddenly, she heard more voices. She recognized Johnny then she heard a woman’s voice. Mother! She groaned again and again, fighting the threatening slumber that would take her away from everyone she loved. She inhaled her mother’s familiar scent of perfume.

  “Loretta Elisabeth Drennan, you wake up this minute and stop worrying all of us.”

  Letty concentrated on her eyelids. Groaning as she worked to open them, slowly she blinked.

  “She’s waking up,” Johnny said.

  Letty wanted to cry with her exhausting effort, but she managed to get her eyes open and see her mother leaning over her.

  “Oh, Letty. My sweet daughter, you came back to us.”

  “Mother…” she managed a hoarse whisper.

  “Get her some water,” her mother said.

  Johnny poured some water from the pitcher beside the bed. “Here, Letty, this will help you.”

  Her brother cupped the back of her head and raised her up so she could drink. Once the cool liquid reached her mouth, Letty became greedy and held onto the glass until it was empty before collapsing back on the pillow. She glanced around to see her mother and brother. “Mother, Johnny, what are you doing here?”

  “Paul sent us a telegram that you’d been shot,” Johnny said.

  Letty looked around the room and found Paul standing in the back. Why was he so far away? Her memory was a blur. “How long have I been here?”

  “Over five days,” Johnny told her.

  “Oh, my. I’ve been asleep all that time?”

  A tall man in a plaid flannel shirt came forward. “Welcome back, Mrs. Slater. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Doctor Rawlins, and I removed a bullet from your side. Luckily, it didn’t hit anything important. You lost a lot for blood before you arrived here.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” she said.

  “You are very welcome.” The doctor held her wrist to check her pulse. After a minute, he smiled and said, “Seems you are doing much better.” He stepped back. “I’ll leave you to visit with your family.” He looked at the group. “Just don’t overtax her.”

  Once the man was out the door, her mother stepped forward and hugged her.

  Letty cringed in pain from her wound, but she welcomed the contact. “Mother, I’m surprised you’re here.” Letty’s gaze examined her mother’s face, but she looked robust and healthy. “You were so sick when I last saw you.”

  Elisabeth waved off her concern. “After you left that day, I realized that Henry had been drugging me through the food. Thanks to Maggie, I managed to let him think he was still medicating me.” Tears filled her eyes. “We heard that Hank came here. He shot you, didn’t he?”

  Letty nodded. “He showed up at the ranch.” She stole a glance at Paul. “He wanted my stock shares signed over to him. He pulled a gun, and said he would kill Paul.” She shivered. “I couldn’t let him…”

  Paul stepped forward, his expression fierce. “You let him take you away because he threatened to shoot me?”

  She couldn’t understand his anger. “Hank would kill us all, anyway.” Then her gaze locked on his. “If he hurt you, Paul…” She paused. “You weren’t expecting to be involved in this when you married me.” She turned away, wishing their relationship could be more. She focused on her mother. “Hank confessed that Henry killed Father.”

  Elisabeth gasped as tears formed in her eyes. “Oh, dear God. Your father was murdered? I married a monster.”

  “It’s going to be hard to prove, since Hank said he and his father had an alibi for that night.”

  Johnny stepped in. “He probably paid to have someone stage the accident at the plant. And I will find out who that was.”

  Elisabeth broke down and began to sob.

  “It�
�s okay, Mother, Hank is dead now. He can’t hurt us.” She held the woman close, but her attention was on Paul. What was to happen to them now? Yet, seeing his reaction and his distance, she already knew their marriage was over.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  It was the afternoon before Paul left Doc’s place. With Johnny and her mother there, Letty was in good hands. They didn’t need him around. Besides, he needed to catch up on chores at the ranch. Also, Michael left word that the U.S. Marshall wanted to ask him some questions about the shooting of Henry Jensen Jr.

  He didn’t care about anything other than the fact that Letty was awake and on the mend. He was sad that they didn’t have a chance to talk without people around them. Maybe later they could discuss their future. For now, he was happy her family was there to help her.

  He rode Simon to the mining office. The closer he got, he could feel the vibrations and hear the familiar sounds of the stamping machine used to crush the mined rock, looking for those precious gold nuggets. The atmosphere brought back reminders of his life before he became partners with Johnny in the S Bar D Ranch. He never wanted to go back to work at the mine. He loved raising cattle, but after last winter’s big storms, they’d lost far too many valuable steers. Now, with Johnny returning to Chicago…and maybe Letty, too, his future was unsure.

  He walked Simon to the mining office. The U. S. Marshall had asked for a place to talk in private. Of course, gossip was all over the small town. How a crazy man rode in and stole Letty away. Paul didn’t need to hear any more made-up tales about his wife’s ordeal. Once Letty returned to Chicago, she wouldn’t have to worry about any talk.

  He climbed off his horse and tied him to the railing as Hector came out of the office. “Did the Marshall call you in, too?”

  Hector nodded. “Yes. I suspect there will be a lot of questions from the Jensen family.” The ex-trapper shook his head. “Makes no difference, the man deserved what he got. He hurt your wife.”

  “Don’t worry, Hector, I’m the one who shot him.” Paul said. “And I’d do it again, for what he did to Letty.”

  The big man agreed. “Yeah, I know Rye will back you up with her injuries. How is the missus doing?”

  “She’s finally awake and recognizes everyone. Johnny came back and brought their mother along, too.”

  Hector grinned. “Good. Lucky you. How’d your first meeting with your mother-in-law go?”

  Paul hadn’t even thought about his relationship to Letty’s mother. Hector was right; this didn’t put him in a good spot. He hadn’t kept his promise to Johnny, to keep Letty safe. “She seems very nice. Concerned about her daughter, of course.”

  After Hector left, Paul walked inside and found Michael and another man with him. A big guy in his middle forties, trim build and wearing nice trousers, a white shirt and his shiny badge on the black leather vest pocket.

  Michael motioned to the other man. “Paul, this is Sam Johnston, deputy U.S. Marshall for the district of Montana.”

  “Hello, sir.”

  “Mr. Slater,” Johnston acknowledged and told him to have a seat. “I need to take your statement on what happened with the shooting of Mr. Henry Jensen, Jr. I’ve already talked with Mr. Morgan and Hector.”

  Paul sat down, feeling a little nervous, and started the story, beginning with finding his wife’s note.

  “Were you having marital troubles?” the Marshall asked.

  He shook his head. “We were married less than a week.” He shrugged. “At first, I thought because she was so homesick, and she had been worried about her mother’s health.”

  The deputy nodded for him to continue.

  Paul went on to say he rode into town to get help from Michael and Hector. By the time Paul got to the part of the story when he heard the shot fired, his hands were shaking. “I pulled my gun, pushed opened the door to find a man stood there,” he told the lawman. “Jensen pointed his gun at me, and I shot him.” Paul clutched his hands into fists.

  Johnston finished writing in his little book then closed it. “Your story checks out with what Hector told me, and Mr. Morgan. I'll write up your statement, and all I’ll need is for you to sign it.”

  “Of course. Is that it?”

  The deputy nodded. “I’d like to talk to your wife, just to verify that she didn’t go willingly.”

  Paul wanted to argue, but he understood the man was doing his job. “If that’s all, I think I’ll go home.” He looked at Michael. “Thank you, Michael, for all your help.”

  “You’re welcome.” He smiled. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that Letty is awake. Prudence has been so worried. We all have.”

  “And now that her mother and Johnny are back, she'll recover even faster.” He just wasn’t sure he would when his wife left him for real.

  ***

  Early the next morning, Paul went out and did his chores, feeding the stock, and then he mounted Simon to ride out to check the herd. There had been a thunderstorm during the night, and he hoped the cattle weren’t scared enough to scatter.

  Well, at least that would give him something to do, and he wouldn’t be thinking about Letty. How was she doing this morning? Had she asked for him? He didn’t blame her if she wanted him out of her life for good. He’d been a lousy husband. If he’d been home that day, then Jensen never could have touched her.

  He rode back to the barn, put Simon in the stall and removed his saddle before he walked up to the house. He slowed his steps, knowing he had to face Johnny, knowing there wasn’t any way to atone for his sins.

  He walked in and inhaled the wonderful aroma of bacon, eggs and biscuits. Hanging up his hat, he peered in the kitchen and found Elisabeth Drennan standing at the stove. An apron tied around her waist covering her nice dress.

  She glanced over her shoulder. Some of her hair had come loose from her combs and curled around her pretty face. “Pour some coffee, breakfast will be ready soon.”

  Paul came into the kitchen. “Mrs. Drennan, you don’t need to cook for me.”

  “Nonsense, it might have been a lot of years since I was employed in a restaurant, but I can manage a few eggs and bacon.

  “You look surprised to learn I wasn’t born into money. My life changed one day when John Drennan walked into my restaurant and asked to court me. I didn’t know him from Adam, so of course, I declined his invitation. He returned several times until I agreed to go out with him. From that first evening together, he told about how he would someday own the small meat packing plant where he worked. That day arrived, and we were married soon after. By the time Johnny was three, his father had expanded the plant, making a name in the town. There was no finer man.” She blinked at tears as she looked at Paul. “He would be impressed with you, too.”

  Paul shook his head and carried the basket of biscuits to the table then brought over the butter. “I haven’t done anything.”

  “Johnny’s been telling me about your breeding program. A heartier steer to withstand the Montana winters.”

  “We lost so many of them. This past winter was mighty bad.”

  “I heard. Johnny said you and Letty were stranded in a cabin for two days.”

  Paul nodded. “Mrs. Drennan, I tried to convince your daughter to stay back in Sweetwater Springs until the storm passed, but she refused. I promise you, there was nothing improper going on.”

  She smiled as she touched his cheek. “I know that you’re a man of honor. Now, sit down, the eggs are about ready.”

  Just then, Johnny walked in. “Well, look at this.” He placed his hands on his hips. “Miracles really do happen.” He kissed his mother, then jumped back when she tried to swat at him.

  “Don’t sass your mother.”

  “Never, especially when you’re holding a weapon.” He grinned and turned to Paul. “Morning.”

  Paul and Johnny exchanged the greeting. “I rode out and checked the herd. As far as I can tell, they’re doing okay since the spring grass is coming up.”

  “Boys, eat,
” Elisabeth instructed. “The food is ready.”

  Paul followed his friend to take a seat at the table as Mrs. Drennan carried the platter of bacon and eggs and set it down in the center.

  Elisabeth smiled as her son held her chair. “Isn’t this nice? The only thing better would be if Letty was here to join us.”

  “That would make it perfect,” Johnny said.

  Paul wished the same, but he wasn’t sure what to say. “She is feeling a lot better.”

  Johnny took a big bite of eggs. “Rye said her wound has healed enough, and she can come home today.” He looked at Paul. “If you’d hung around yesterday, then you would have heard the news, too.”

  Paul wanted to be there, too, but he felt strange being with the family. “I thought Letty would like to spend time with her mother and brother. Besides, I had a date with the U.S. Marshall. So I spent my afternoon going over all the details as to why I had to shoot Jensen.”

  Elisabeth touched his hand. “I am so sorry you had to go through that. You have been so wonderful to us. First helping us to obtain the control of the company, but more importantly, you saved Letty’s life. If you hadn’t gone after her…”

  Paul shook his head. “If only I’d been here at the house, maybe Jensen wouldn’t have kidnapped her in the first place.”

  Johnny studied him. “You had no way of knowing Jensen would show up here. I learned it had been the telegram I sent to Maggie. Hank intercepted it and discovered where Letty had gone. I’m unable to express how grateful I am to you and Michael for finding her."

  “I didn’t keep her safe, did I?” Paul said.

  Johnny frowned. “Paul, I’m not blaming you for Hank showing up here. When I said keep Letty safe, I meant from the other men in town.”

  “Well, I still didn’t do a very good job of protecting my wife.”

  ***

  Later that day, Letty sat up in bed, eager to leave. She’d missed the ranch and her home. She missed Paul the most, ever since she’d woken up yesterday. She saw him, but only for a short time, then he’d disappeared in all the chaos. She’d hoped he’d come by later and visit her, but there had only been Johnny and her mother.