He smiled at her and held up his hands. “Your business.”
She sent him a stern gaze while silently holding the paper toward him.
He accepted the sheet. “Yes, ma’am.” Quickly, he read then handed the paper to her. “Looks in good order.”
Wondering why he didn’t hand the thing to Mr. Applebee, she slid it across the desk to the banker. “When will I have access to my funds?”
“I can give you a line of credit now for up to a thousand dollars. That should help until your money arrives. That’ll probably take two weeks—barring another stage robbery.”
She gasped. “I hope that doesn’t happen. I’d hate to lose my inheritance.”
The banker tapped a finger on his desk. “Wells Fargo guarantees whatever you ship with them, which is why I always request funds through them. Holdups delay everything, of course.”
She sighed. “That’s a relief. Now, we need the permission for my husband to withdraw from the account?”
Mr. Applebee passed a half sheet of paper toward. “If you’d each sign this, I’ll keep them on file.”
Dalton leaned forward. “She needs a card so she can withdraw from the ranch account.”
She stared at him. “I won’t need to. I’ll have my own account.”
He grinned. “Ever heard the old adage ‘What’s good for the goose is good for the gander’? We’re putting it to practice.”
She faced Mr. Applebee. “If I have a line of credit, may I withdraw a small sum now?”
“Certainly. How much would you like?”
“I know it sounds like a lot, but I want a hundred dollars.”
The banker chuckled. “Not extravagant considering the fifteen thousand you’re transferring to our establishment.”
When they’d completed their transactions, they bid Mr. Applebee goodbye.
He stood and walked them to his office door. “Congratulations and best wishes on your marriage. Seems like you’re off to a good start.”
Were they? She hoped so.
Chapter Six
She clutched her purse firmly. “I feel wealthy.”
“You are. That’s a lot of money. Do you have special plans for it?”
“I had thought some of it would be used to repair the house, but it appears sound. I suppose we can use it whenever we need to. If we don’t need it, we can will it to our children.”
“I can’t think why we’d need it for the ranch—unless adjoining property comes on the market. You know us ranchers only want our land and any that touches it.”
He grinned then sobered. “Guess we could have a devastating year for some reason that my surplus wouldn’t cover.”
She would love using her funds to buy more property. That would make her his true partner.
“I hope a bad year doesn’t happen. Where can we send Uncle Fred a telegram?”
“Just in the next block.” Dalton escorted her to the hotel, which included a small telegraph office.
Using a form from the counter he wrote the wire. “Think this will do?”
She read what he’d written.
Thank you for the gift. Stop. Congratulations are in order. Stop. Now all we need is you to move here. Stop. Love from Dalton. Stop
“That’s nice, Dalton. Thank you.”
He paid for the telegram and they left.
When they were even with the Mercantile she pulled Dalton inside. “I promised Bert some peppermint candy. I’ll get some for everyone.”
Mr. Jordan waved at them. “Hello, nice to see you newlyweds. What can I do for you?”
She answered, “I want six sacks of peppermints, a nickel’s worth in each sack. I’ll browse in the clothing.”
When they reached the men’s wear, she turned to Dalton. “Does Bert have a good shirt?”
He appeared pensive for a few seconds. “Not that I know of. He rotates among three.”
“Would you help me with the size? I’m going to get him a new shirt for helping me so much since I’ve been here. He’s been very kind. I won’t give it to him when the others are around because I don’t want to get them each one.”
Surprise flashed across his face. “When they’re in for meals, I haven’t noticed you treating them any differently than you do Bert and me. Don’t you like them?”
Hesitant to admit her feelings, she faced him. “I don’t want to sound mean-spirited but since you asked, I don’t care for them. I can’t explain why… I’m not as comfortable when they’re in the house, especially George. Clyde is lazy and goofy, but doesn’t worry me. I guess I like Rob best but that’s not much. At least he misses his family.”
With a wave of dismissal, she wished she hadn’t mentioned her wariness when the three cowhands were in the house. “I know it’s silly so please forget I said anything about your friends.”
“Whoa, they’re employees but not my friends. Bert is both, more like family. If that’s the way you feel, it’s not silly. Rebecca, when we have these gut feelings there’s usually a good reason.”
He paused and laid his hand on her back. “But, it’s really important you continue to keep your opinion to yourself when they’re around. Can you do that?”
“Of course. I would never be rude to someone in your home.”
“Now it’s our home.” He picked up a shirt. “This is Bert’s size. He’s lost weight since his accident and isn’t much larger than you.”
She sorted through and chose a flannel shirt in red and black plaid and a blue chambray. “He’ll have something new for summer and one for winter.” She wanted to get Dalton something and chewed on her lip trying to decide whether to ask him.
As if he’d read her thoughts, he grinned and pushed a strand of hair from her face. “Don’t get me anything.”
He took the shirts from her. “I’ll take these up to the counter so you can look around without having to carry them. Go crazy with your new funds.”
She laughed. “I might do that.”
For wearing on the ranch, she chose heavy garden gloves and a pair of sturdy boots. Her old garden bonnet didn’t have a wide enough brim for Montana’s bright sunlight. She chose a natural straw hat with a wide brim that was actually pretty. A blue ribbon tied under her chin to anchor the hat from the wind.
When she came to the ready-to-wear, she found calico dresses in a simple style that were more suited to ranch life than those she owned. She wondered who had sold them to Mr. Jordan. Never mind, that didn’t matter because she would find them useful.
After she’d paid, Dalton took the packages from Mr. Jordan then escorted her. “I’m hungry. Let’s get over to the café and see what their special is today.”
He added their purchases to the wagon and guided her to a cheerful café painted dark green with bright red trim. Red and white checked tablecloths were on each table. The other diners stared when they entered. Dalton nodded at or spoke to several. They found an empty table by the window.
A dark-haired waitress hurried to them. “Hello, Dalton. What can I get you? The special is pork chops with gravy and potatoes and beans. Dessert is chess pie.”
“Laura Sandford, this is my wife, Rebecca.” He looked at Rebecca. “What would you like?”
“Nice to meet you, Laura. Your special sounds good. I’d like milk with mine.”
He nodded. “I’ll take the same.”
“Nice to meet you, Rebecca. I didn’t know Dalton had married. Welcome to our town.”
After they’d eaten lunch, they were leaving the café when they met another couple entering. The man was about Dalton’s height with dark blond hair and brown eyes. The woman had a sweet expression that showed she smiled a lot. She was shorter than Rebecca and a very pretty brunette.
The man stuck out his hand. “Dalton, nice to run into you.”
Her husband shook the man’s hand. “Hey, Lance and Teresa Courier, this is my wife, Rebecca. We came in to take care of some errands this morning.”
Rebecca offered her hand. “I’m pleas
ed to meet you.”
Lance clapped Dalton on the back. “You old rascal, I didn’t know you’d married.”
Dalton laughed. “You have to be quick to keep pace. We’ve eaten or we’d join you.”
Teresa took Rebecca’s hand. “Perhaps you can come for dinner soon. I’d love a chance to get to know you.”
“I’d like that. If you’re in the mood for a drive, please come visit us. We’d love to have you.”
Teresa’s face lit with a wide smile. “We’ll do that. I haven’t seen your ranch. Lance and I haven’t been married long, only three months.”
After their successful time in town, they started home. Home. A wonderful word that carried a lot more meaning than it had yesterday. Reveling in her newfound security, she enjoyed the drive.
She wondered how Dalton felt about their union. He’d acted less than happy about the idea on the day she’d arrived. As she thought about that day, she recalled he’d looked puzzled. Today, he hadn’t appeared to mind. On the other hand, he hadn’t acted eager.
“You look real pretty today, Rebecca, but deep in thought.”
She couldn’t hide her surprise—and pleasure at his comment. “Thank you, Dalton. I was thinking that probably you can’t help feeling trapped. I’m sorry Uncle Fred and I pressured you to help me.”
He glanced at her. “I’m a grown man and wouldn’t let even Uncle Fred force me to do anything I was against.”
He pulled to the side of the road and stopped the horses. “One thing the judge forgot was telling me to kiss my bride.”
He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her, softly at first as if he feared she’d protest. The pressure of his lips on hers increased and she twined her arms around his neck. When he pulled away, his lovely blue eyes had darkened and his breathing came in gasps.
He cleared his throat. “Reckon we’d better get home.” He clicked the reins and the horses pulled the wagon toward the ranch.”
She struggled to think of something to say. “I see the boulder you pointed out on our way to town.”
“I’m glad you remember. Landmarks are especially important out here where there are no street signs and not many houses.”
“Isn’t it funny that the mountains look close but we never get any nearer to them?”
“They’re miles away. The forest you see is where we cut the logs for our house. That was a hard job I’ll never forget.”
“Didn’t you have others besides your father and Bert to help?”
“Papa hired a team of lumberjacks to cut trees, haul them, and help square up the logs. You lose wood when you square them, but the logs fit together tighter and the house is warmer in winter and cooler in summer.”
“I was surprised at how large your home is.”
“When we laid out the plans we intended for me to live there and raise a family—and hope one of my children would live there with his or her family. My folks intended to remain there, too, but that didn’t work out.”
“I’m sorry you lost them. Bert seems to feel as if he’s family and that’s how you treat him. Having him sleep downstairs so he doesn’t have to go up and down steps every day is a thoughtful arrangement. He doesn’t complain but I think his hip hurts.”
“Bothers him all the time but more in winter. I never ask him to ride a horse as riding is way too painful for him. He insists on helping even in our coldest weather. He drives the wagon when I pitch hay to the cattle after a heavy snow. I could manage on my own but it’s not safe for one person to be out alone. If there was an accident, I’d freeze pretty fast.”
“If you teach me to drive the wagon then I can help you with the hay this winter.”
He grinned at her. “Glad you’re willing but we’ll see. I may hire another man or two when the three who’re there now leave. There’s plenty for you to do in the house plus helping with the garden. I remember Mama stayed busy. Of course, she did some of the things Bert does until he was hurt and healed enough to help.”
“Am I supposed to do more outside?”
“No, no, cooking, mending, laundry, cleaning, and storing food will keep you tied up all the time. Some wives tend to the chickens but Bert likes to do that. He has his own system for taking care of the animals. I leave them to him except for my horse, Blaze.”
“I haven’t been inside the barn but it looks large. Do you only have the milk cows and your horse plus the team pulling the wagon? I mean, except those horses belonging to the men in the bunkhouse.”
“We have others. Sometimes I ride Charlie to keep him active.”
She couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled out. “Charlie horse?”
He grinned at her. “I was sixteen when I got him. The name seemed funny at the time.”
“Still does to me. Is Charlie the one I’ll ride?”
“You could because he’s gentle. We also have one named Dancer you’d like.” He nodded to the right. “I always enjoy getting to the cairn that marks the ranch.”
“Yours is a large ranch, isn’t it?”
“Not by Montana standards. We need a lot of land to keep moving the herd. I have to cut tons of hay in summer to feed the cows over the winter. Snow gets so deep they can’t get down to the grass underneath.”
“Don’t they freeze when it’s that cold?”
“They can. Their coats thicken in the cold. We move them to areas protected from the north wind. Still, in a hard winter, we have losses from some who wander away from the others. I figure on losing a percentage of the herd. This year we did well.”
“Do you have a lot of predators like wolves?”
“Wouldn’t say a lot, but we do have wolves, wildcats, coyotes, and bears.”
She shuddered. “I hope I don’t encounter any of those. I suppose staying at the house I’ll be safe from them.” She prayed they would all remain safe.
He glanced her way and raised his eyebrows. “By the way, do you have an explanation of how animal scat got on the floor of my room?”
She covered her face with her hands. “Oh, no. I thought I’d cleaned it all.”
“This must be an interesting story. Care to share?”
She shook her head. “Not really but you have a right to know.” She told him every detail, including growling at the raccoon.
He laughed and laughed. “Oh, Rebecca, I’d have paid good money to see that.”
Chapter Seven
That evening at supper, Rebecca handed out the sacks of peppermints.
George stared at her as if he suspected a trick. “How come you got us something for no reason?”
Rebecca smiled at the man she secretly feared. “I had a reason. I thought you’d enjoy them.”
Clyde looked in the sack and laughed. “Whooee, you was right. I ain’t had candy in a long time. In my whole life ain’t nobody ever bought me any.”
No one in his life ever bought him candy? How sad. That caused her to regret not buying the three men something else.
“Thank you, Miz Sterling. This was real thoughtful.” Rob turned solemn. “My girls would sure like these.”
Rebecca felt sorry for the man in spite of the fact she couldn’t respect a man who’d leave his wife and children with no steady income. “When you go home, you’ll be able to buy your girls candy.”
He nodded. “I reckon. Sure would like to see them and my wife.”
George glared at him. “You turning soft on us?”
Rob glared back. “I’m same as I always have been. You’re just jealous ’cause your wife left your sorry carcass.”
Dalton held up a hand. “Men, no arguments in the house please. This was supposed to be a treat and not a source of contention.”
George muttered, “Yeah, yeah.”
Rebecca was relieved when the cowhands went to the bunkhouse. “Whew, I didn’t expect a few candies to cause an argument.”
She turned to Bert. “Now for the thank you treat I got you for all the help you’ve given me.”
Dalton’s eyes sp
arkled with mirth. “And for rounding up raccoons.”
***
The next morning, Rebecca rose to carry breakfast plates to the sink. Dalton announced he was staying at the homestead with her.
When the three cowhands had gone, he faced her. “This is a good day to start your riding lessons. Bert said you could borrow a pair of his trousers.”
Bert stood at the sink shaving soap into dishwater. “I hung a pair on the door along with a shirt. You can’t miss seeing them.”
She hesitated—what would people say? Silly, why was she worrying? Who would see her except Dalton and Bert?
“Thank you. I’ll change and be ready in a few minutes. I’m glad I have my new ranch boots.”
She collected Bert’s loaned clothing and hurried upstairs. He’d left his best pair of clothes for her, she was certain, other than the new shirts she’d given him. Lanky he might be but his britches were too large in the waist even without her corset. She understood why he’d left a length of rope and she used it to tie the britches so they wouldn’t fall around her feet.
His shirt was large, soft and comfortable but she couldn’t decide whether to tuck it in or wear her own blouse underneath it. She chose to wear her blouse and keep Bert’s shirt outside the britches. Since they were too long, she turned the pants up a cuff at her ankles.
Wearing the loaned clothing, she stood in front of a mirror. Goodness but she looked ridiculous. Ranching wasn’t about glamour but she feared Dalton and Bert would laugh at her appearance.
She grabbed her new straw hat and tied it under her chin. Let them laugh if they wished, she was determined to learn to ride a horse. She wanted to learn everything about living on a ranch.
When she descended the stairs, both men turned to look at her.
“Go ahead and laugh. I know I look ridiculous. These pants sure are more comfortable than my dresses.”
Bert slapped his thigh and laughed. “Durned if those don’t look a sight better on you than they ever did on me.”
Dalton’s eyes twinkled. “I agree, Bert. Of course, that outfit’s not going to win any fashion prizes. We’ll see how well it works.”
A Bride For Dalton Page 5