There was a soft knock on the door, and her excitement rose. “Come in.”
Prudence Morgan stuck her head inside. “Good morning. I hope I’m not intruding.”
“Of course not. I’m hoping to go home today.”
Prudence walked into the small room and sat down in the chair beside her bed. “I know one person who will be happy, that good-looking husband of yours. He hadn’t left your side. Well, except for when Rye threw him out. Missouri said he slept right here,” she said, motioning to her chair.
Letty’s heart raced over the news.
Prudence smile faded. “I also found him one day out on the back stoop,” she began again. “He looked so tired and thin. We tried to feed him, Letty, but Paul didn’t eat much.”
“Surely, he went home to sleep.”
“No, he said he couldn’t leave you.” Prudence’s eyes were wet with tears. “He broke down and said he didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to you.”
Hope soared. Paul truly cared about her?
Prudence regained her composure. “Will you look at me, just chatting away like a magpie. How are you feeling today?”
Letty couldn’t help but smile. “Much better since you’ve come to visit. How are you and the little one feeling?”
Prudence smiled as she rested her hand on her swelling stomach. “We’re both doing well, thank you. And once you’ve healed completely, I want to invite you and your entire family to dinner.”
“That would be lovely, Prudence. I’m just not sure how long my mother and brother will be visiting.” And if she would be staying here, or going back to Chicago? She knew what she wanted to do.
There was a knock on the door and her mother walked in. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude with your visit.”
“No, Mother, please come in. I’d like you to meet Prudence Morgan; she married Michael, the mayor of the town.”
Elisabeth Drennan was gracious as she took hold of Prudence’s hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Morgan. I hope you are feeling well. I remember what it was like, carrying a child can be tiring.”
Prudence beamed. “Yet, it’s my joy.” She nodded to the bed. “I was telling Letty that Michael and I would be honored to have you and your family to our home for dinner. Of course, when Letty is up to it.”
“Mother, Prudence and Michael graciously opened their home so Paul and I could be married there.”
“That was so wonderful of you.”
“Our pleasure. One thing about a mining town, it is a rougher way of life, and lacking so many social activities. So we love to entertain whenever possible.”
“Well, Mrs. Morgan, I look forward to getting to know my daughter’s friends.”
Prudence looked at Letty. “I know Paul will be happy to have you back home.”
A pain shot through Letty, but it had nothing to do with her wound. “So will I. Thank you, Prudence, for all you have done.” She watched silently as her friend walked out and the door was closed, then she looked at her mother.
Elisabeth moved gracefully across the room and sat down beside the bed. “I think it’s time you tell me what is going on with that husband of yours.”
Letty knew her mother always could read her. Sudden emotions welled up, surfacing with tears and she began to cry.
Elisabeth pulled her daughter into her arms. “It’s okay, baby girl. You’re safe now.”
“I was so scared.” She pulled back, and her mother handed her a lace handkerchief. Letty wiped her eyes. “Hank was acting crazy.”
Elisabeth blinked at her own tears. “I am to blame for what happened to you. I never should have married Henry. My only excuse was that my unbearable loneliness clouded my judgment. As soon as Johnny left, I began to see my mistake. Henry offered to find him. Now I know he didn’t look for my son. Henry didn’t want Johnny back. He drove him off purposely so Hank could take over the plant.” Her gaze met her daughter's. “And now to learn that Henry was the cause of your father’s deadly accident.” Her mother collapsed in an unbearable sob. “Oh, Letty, I’m the worst mother in the world. I drove my own children from their home.”
“Oh, no, Mother, you were tricked by Henry, too. I even believe Father knew something, and that’s why he was met with an accident.”
“Your poor father. He was so wonderful to us. I loved him with all my heart.” Her mother smiled down with a tear-stained face. “He adored you, Loretta. You were his darling little girl.”
Letty wanted to forget about the nightmare of the past week. “Why don’t we think about those times with Father? How much he loved us, and we carry on from there?”
Elisabeth wiped her eyes and straightened her spine. “You’re right. We’re a family, always. We’re Drennans.”
***
Later that day, Rye pronounced Letty’s wound was healed enough to be moved to the ranch, but he gave her strict orders to stay in bed. In a few days, he would check the stitches in her side.
Dressed in a skirt and blouse her mother brought her, she was packing her things in her valise when Paul came into the room.
“So, you got elected to take me back to the ranch.”
“I asked to bring you home,” he said. “We hadn’t talked in a while. And with your brother and mother in the house, we might not have any privacy.”
She didn’t think she wanted to hear what the man had to say. She’d promised him an annulment if he married her after the company was back in their control. Of course that was what he wanted. “Would you mind if we leave here and go outside somewhere? It’s been nearly a week since I’ve had any fresh air.”
Paul smiled slightly. “Of course. I have the buggy your mother rented from the livery. It will be an easier ride and to get in and out of.” Paul took her valise in one hand, then offered his other arm to his wife. “Madam, your carriage awaits.”
She smiled, and together they walked out of the room. She took time and thanked the doctor for all her special care.
“Just don’t do anything foolish,” the doc told her. “Go home, and let your family spoil you a little.”
Just the walk out of the house and down the steps exhausted her. She gasped when Paul swung her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way.
“Paul, you don’t need to do this. I can manage.”
“Hush, woman, I like doing things for you.”
She loved being in his arms, feeling his strength, with her body against his. With Paul’s help, she managed to get into the two-seater carriage.
Paul went around the wagon and climbed into the driver’s seat. “I’ll go slow. I won’t jiggle you around so much.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
He drove the buggy out of town just as the sun was going down.
“I never got the chance to thank you for coming after me.” She felt nervous. “Please know that I didn’t mean any of those things I said in the letter.”
He gave a curt nod. Once on the ranch, he drove them off by the creek and stopped the horses but remained facing the water. “When I realized that Hank had taken you, I figured he made you write it.” He stole a glance at her. “I was coming after you, anyway. I wasn’t about to let you set out on your own.”
“It’s strange that after all the warnings about the wild Montana Territory, my danger came from the city.”
Paul remained silent.
Letty released a long sigh. “I’m sorry you had to be the one to kill him. I hope you don’t get nightmares.”
He shrugged. “No reason I will have nightmares, my conscience is clear. I don’t like taking a life, but killing Jensen was justified. He was ready to kill you, Letty. I couldn’t let that happen.” His blue-eyed gaze turned to her. “You mean too much to me.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Dinner that evening was a noisy affair with Johnny and Letty sharing stories from their childhood.
Elisabeth joined in.
Paul suddenly felt he didn’t belong with this grou
p. He’d grown up on a ranch—with some good years, and many bad ones.
Letty and Johnny Drennan led a different kind of life. They had been awarded opportunity that he could only dream of. That’s when he realized she needed to go back and take advantage of those chances. He couldn’t hold her back.
Letty put her fork down, her appetite gone. Even though Paul sat next to her, she could see he was a million miles away. It was difficult to watch the man she loved grow quiet and distance. She quickly changed the subject. “Johnny, did you know that Paul took me riding last week, showed me how to catch a steer and bring him back to the herd?”
Johnny grinned and looked at Paul. “Really. Did she bully you into teaching her? That’s what she always did to me whenever she couldn’t get her way.”
Letty gasped. “I did not. I just used whatever means possible to get what I wanted.”
Paul showed a slight grin. “She does needle you, doesn’t she?”
“I bet that’s how she got the chickens?” Johnny asked.
Paul scratched his head, thinking how Letty had him confused most of the time. “I’m still not sure how that happened.”
Elisabeth smiled at Letty. “Seems to me that my daughter has been a great addition to this ranch.”
Paul glanced at Letty. “There’s a lot of work to do yet. Johnny and I have barely survived one of the worst winters in history. The loss of our cattle devastated us, and I had to sell one of our breeding bulls.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Johnny began. “Since I’ll be back in Chicago, a good idea might be an investment to ship some cows out here to help populate the herd faster. With the cattle shortage, and although the prices are low right now, but they’ll soar.”
“What do you have, a magic wand?” Paul joked.
Johnny leaned back in his chair. “No, I’m not kidding. In fact, Mother and I have already discussed the idea about shipping S Bar D cows back to Chicago. As the new president of Drennan Meat Packing Company, I have the authority to make a formal offer to the S Bar D to be one of our wholesalers from this part of the country. We need your mixed breed of cattle, so they can endure the next brutal winter.” He placed his arms on the table. “You only have the one bull that we can locate from the last storm. So we’ll put him to work.”
Paul couldn’t believe what Johnny was offering. Building his herd was what he always wanted, so why couldn’t he get excited about this prospect?
Johnny frowned. “Why the hesitation, Paul? It’s a good investment.”
“Rebuilding could take years,” Paul stressed, feeling as if his friend was giving him a handout. “You’re the one who made the deal for this land. My part was my stock in this partnership.”
“And your cattle have been paying the bills on the ranch, too. That’s why it’s called a partnership, Paul. And if we make improvements to help secure our future here, then we both benefit. The idea of being cattle barons has gone by the wayside, but we still have dreams for this ranch.” Johnny shrugged. “Who knows? There might be a railroad through here one day. You talked about buying some land and building holding pens closer to the railroad station outside Sweetwater Springs. Then we don’t have to sit up all night waiting for the trains. We can also charge for other ranchers to use our pens.”
Paul glanced around the table, seeing Letty and Elisabeth watching him. “Seems you’ve been planning a lot.”
Johnny leaned back in his chair. “The idea came to me when I rode the train and saw the all the decomposing carcasses scattered over the plains. So yes, I had a lot of time to think about a solution.” He arched an eyebrow at Paul. “Are you with us on this?”
Paul needed clarification. “When you go back to Chicago, you want me to handle things on the ranch?”
Johnny nodded. “I can hire you some help. There’s that space in the barn that will make a decent bunkroom, at least during the summer. Later, we can build a bunkhouse for the colder months.”
Paul couldn’t think. “So many plans.”
“You’ve known that from the beginning of our partnership. It was one of the reasons we first bought the ranch.”
“Cattle, yes, but the only money I have now to invest is from the sale of my bull.”
“That’s proof of the importance of your breeding program. And we need to get that started. Together. ”
That might be correct, but now Johnny was wealthy. So was Letty. She was an heiress, and he was a simple cattleman, and now, without much of a herd. “Maybe we dissolve the partnership.” Although their agreement was only a verbal one, it was still binding. “I’ll hire on to work for you.” Paul started to stand.
Johnny stopped him. “Never. You have your registered bulls, Rusty Lad and Sonny Boy. They are the future of this ranch and might help to save the industry.”
“Had those bulls, Johnny. They’ve disappeared in the last storm.”
“You still have Wrangler. We can build the herd with him. You’re my partner, Paul, in everything at this ranch. There’s something else I need to speak to you about, too. The mine.”
This time, Paul got to his feet. “Stop with the gold mine, Johnny. We don’t have time for foolish dreams.” He turned and walked out of the cabin. He knew he’d already lost what was most important. Letty. Without her, nothing seemed to matter. And with nothing to offer her, he had to give her up.
***
Later that night, Letty lay in Johnny’s bed she shared with her mother, trying to keep her tears from falling. Both her mother and her brother were returning to Chicago tomorrow. She had to decide whether she would be going with them, or not.
Trouble was, Paul had yet to ask her to stay here. He hadn't said anything to her since he brought her home that morning, only admitting that she meant a lot to him. Did he want her to still be his wife?
Her mother rolled over on the double mattress. “You are thinking too hard, daughter. Why don’t you just go and talk with Paul? No matter what the circumstances of your marriage, he’s still your husband. He’s the only one who can tell you what he truly wants.”
The room was silent, and finally Letty spoke. “Would you be unhappy if I stayed here?”
“Of course, but I want you to be happy. And I can see that Paul makes you happy.”
“What if he rejects me and wants to end the marriage?”
Her mother released a sigh. “I don’t know what he will do or say, Letty. I can see that the man loves you.” Her mother turned to her. “Paul is a proud man. He doesn’t want you to have to give up the kind of life you’ve had in Chicago. He reminds me of your father. Highly principled and wants to make his own way.”
“What if I lose him because of those principles? I love Paul, Mother.”
Elisabeth patted her hand. “I know. Men can be stubborn that way. I’m sure your brother might have a way to convince Paul how valuable he is. You just let your husband know that you care.”
Letty climbed out of bed, slipped on her robe and made her way in the dark to Paul’s room. She raised her hand to knock, but then decided against it. Her heart pounding in her chest, she opened the door. Moonlight flooded through the window, allowing her to see the man she loved lying in the bed. Her stomach tightened in awareness, finding the sheet pulled down to his waist, exposing his beautiful bare chest.
Her breathing was labored with excitement, but she couldn’t lose her nerve now. Slowly, she made her way across the room. Each step added to her fear that Paul would reject her, but she couldn’t turn back. Finally, she came to the bed and reached out to touch his arm.
Suddenly, she was lifted and tossed onto the mattress. She gasped as the wound in her side pulled a little. But, feeling Paul’s body pushing her deep into the bed was worth the discomfort.
“Letty?” He looked down at her, wide-eyed. “Oh, God. Are you all right? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She nodded, loving his tender concern. “No, I’m fine.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I neede
d to speak with you… without everyone else around.”
He released a long breath. “What is there left to say? You’re going back to Chicago with your family, as planned.”
She inhaled his familiar scent as their gazes met in the moonlight. She ached to have him kiss her again. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk any more, Paul. Maybe you should just kiss me.”
She felt him tense, and for several breaths, he didn’t move. Her heart was breaking.
Then slowly he dipped his head. “This is a bad idea.” He brushed his mouth across hers, once, twice and the third time, he didn’t pull back. His lips moved over hers, slowly building the desire that had been between them since their first meeting. He drew her against his chest.
She wrapped her arms about his neck, loving his warmth and strength, praying it would go on forever.
With a painful sounding groan, Paul pulled away. He climbed out of bed and walked to the window.
“Paul…” She watched his shoulders tense and his hands gripped the window frame.
“Letty, you shouldn’t have come here.”
She sat up in the bed. “Why? You’re my husband.”
“No, I’m not. Not in the true sense. And I can’t support you like a husband should. Not like you’re accustomed to. We discussed earlier, it will take me a long time to rebuild the herd.”
She went to him, but fought the urge to touch him. “But Johnny wants to invest.”
He swung around. “No! If I’m to be his true partner, I need to pay my share, too.” He looked at her. “We can’t let anything happen between us, Letty. You’ll be leaving here with your family. I’m staying here to work at bringing this ranch back.”
She had no pride when it came to this man. “I could help you?”
“You’ve barely recovered from a bullet wound, Letty. If something else would happen to you…” He paused, then said, “Go home, Letty.” When she didn’t move, he said, “Your life is in Chicago, and mine is here.”
***
That next morning, Paul couldn’t hang around with Letty packing to leave. He knew that he was causing her pain, but it was best. Once she got back in Chicago, she’d forget him. He’d never forget her, but he was doing what was right for her.
Montana Sky: Slater's Bride (Kindle Worlds) Page 16