by P. Creeden
A warm hand settled on her shoulder, and Nate leaned out off the porch to swing in front of her and see her face. “You’ve always been a good, brave kid, Amanda. I remember that one time you broke your pinky toe when that colt stomped it. You screamed bloody-murder at first, but after shedding a few tears, you sucked them back and refused to let anything stop you from turning out the horse. You didn’t want to sit down and take a rest until you’d finished the job you were doing.”
Although her chest constricted at being called a kid again, Amanda smiled and nodded to him. “I remember.”
“I’m sure you have your eye on some young man out there, maybe in church?”
Amanda blinked. “What?”
He shrugged. “I don’t mean to pry, but your father mentioned your marrying prospects. Is there a man you’re interested in?”
She nodded slowly, wanting to tell him that the man was him, but didn’t know if she should. Besides, she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to get the words past the sudden constriction in her throat.
He smiled wide. “Good! Does he return your affections?”
Slowly, again, she shook her head.
His brow furrowed as he frowned. “Don’t give up on him, then. Be sure to let him know how you feel about him. Make him something to eat each time you see him at church. They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It certainly doesn’t hurt to feed him something sweet.”
Again, Amanda swallowed past that constriction, but nodded to let him know she’d heard him. How would he feel when she started bringing him baked goods and sweets? Would it truly get his attention the way he said it would get another young man’s? She determined herself to give this all a try. The next day was Sunday, and if she started right off, maybe she’d get him to see her in a new light because of the words he spoke that very evening.
Nate
At church the next morning, Eugenia had made sure the Halberson family had arrived more than half an hour before the service was to begin. Because, as she stated, “Women of high moral character are often at the church early on Sundays and are never late.”
Then his aunt proceeded to get herself introduced to every reasonably comely woman in Nate’s general age range, whether they were spoken for yet, or not. She couldn’t tell by looking at them. It was amazing how many young women in Belle were already engaged to be married by that very Christmas.
The stolen bells were the talk of the town. All through that morning, Nate heard the same gossip over and over again about them. His aunt relished in sharing whatever she’d heard from one parishioner with the next as she met them. Nate shook his head and let her have her fun, it helped distract her from her supposed purpose—to find him a good wife.
Nate let out a deep breath and set Emma down to play with another young girl who’d come in with two dolls. They sat on the pew together and combed their corn silk hair gently so as not to pull any out. He kept his eyes focused on the children so that his mother could continue introducing his aunt, through the morning before it was time for everyone to be seated. Nate honestly wasn’t sure if he was ready to be married again. It was hard losing Sandra. And being left a single father on his own hadn’t been easy either. Thank God for his mother being willing to move back out to Wyoming the moment he’d sent a letter about Sandra’s sickness. He knew she loved living in San Francisco with her sister, and Eugenia was right, the weather out there was better for his mother’s health.
He just didn’t want some strange woman raising Emma. All the wicked stepmothers in fairytales haunted his nightmares. It would be the worst possible thing to happen to him if he married someone who mistreated his daughter. When the deacons started motioning for everyone to come together for the service, Nate’s mother and aunt came to sit with him in the pew. Eugenia whispered to Emma, “All good ladies stay quiet during when in church; you’re a good lady now, aren’t you, Emma?”
To which, Emma nodded and did her best to be quiet. The pastor had started the first hymn, and everyone stood to sing the song. Behind them, the door to the back squeaked on its hinges. Amanda and her father slipped in quietly, smiling sheepishly and bowing their heads at everyone who peered their direction. They slipped into one of the empty spots near the back pews. The light hit her face, and Amanda glowed with youth and vitality. She struck Nate as looking nearly angelic. He saw she carried a small parcel with her as she slipped in. He wondered if it would be her taking his advice and bringing a treat for the object of her affections. Curiosity got the better of him. Even though he knew it would be rude to be so nosy, he would watch to see which young gentleman she gave the package to.
Chapter 5
Amanda
All through the sermon, Amanda did her best to sit still even though she wanted to fidget. The pastor spoke of patience and self-control as fruits of the spirit, and Amanda found herself praying for just those things as she waited for the message to finish. Once it was over and the members of the town of Belle stood in the pews to greet one another and say their goodbyes or make plans for the afternoon, Amanda slipped over to the pew where Nate and his family had been sitting. Emma spotted her first. “Miss Amanda!”
Amanda knelt down to eye level with the child and offered her a wide smile while accepting her warm arms in a hug. “Hello, Emma. You did a great job of staying quiet like a true lady during the pastor’s sermon.”
“I’m a lady now, Aunt Eugenia says so.” She beamed.
“You are a lady, and it’s not easy to win your aunt’s approval, so great work.”
Emma spotted the satchel in Amanda’s hand and pointed to it. “What’s that?”
She looked down that the burgundy cloth she had wrapped around the present. “It’s a thank you for the invitation to come for supper yesterday. I made a currant pudding.”
Her eyes grew wide as Nate came over and picked her up. Amanda stood with them, to remain on the same level as Emma. Emma clapped her hands on her father’s cheeks. “Amanda made us a currant pudding.”
His brow quivered for a moment in question before turning toward Amanda. “It might not be for us, sweetheart. I’m sure Amanda has other people to greet and give gifts to, also.”
Amanda quickly shook her head. “No. It’s for you... and your family. I made it as a thank you for having us over for dinner yesterday.”
Nate nodded, his smile widening as he took the wrapped cloth from her. “You didn’t have to do that, you know. But I do know that Emma loves currants.”
With one finger, Amanda poked Emma on the nose and sent the child into a fit of giggles. “Then maybe I’ll need to make currant pudding every Sunday.”
“Yes!” Emma shouted and clapped her hands again. “I love currants!”
“What’s all this commotion about?” Eugenia came forward with a frown toward Emma. “Didn’t I just tell you that a lady never raises her voice inside a building, much less church? And you were being such a good young lady, too.”
Emma blinked at her, a look of horror reaching on her face.
Amanda patted her arm. “It’s okay, it’s my fault. Emma’s been an excellent lady the whole time. I guess I’m a bad influence on her.”
“Yes, well. As long as you recognize the trait in yourself, your half way to solving the problem,” Eugenia said, raising her nose just a wee bit higher into the air before walking away.
Had Mrs. Eugenia really just taken Amanda’s joke and turned it around on her, making it into an insult? Amanda tightened her jaw, biting down hard enough on her back teeth to make them ache. She genuinely couldn’t seem to do anything right around this woman.
“You are not a bad influence, and Emma loves you. Please don’t take my aunt’s words to heart.” Nate said, shaking his head in his aunt’s direction. His sandy hair was combed back and the scruff he usually had lining his jaw whenever she saw him was missing. She was sorely tempted to touch his cheek but restrained herself... barely.
Now that the pudding had been delivered into Na
te’s hands, and Amanda’s were empty, she took Emma’s hand in hers and led the three-year-old on the trek outside where the rest of the children were playing. Someone had drawn a hopscotch pattern in the light dusting of snow and abandoned it because some of the lines had gotten distorted. But that didn’t stop Emma from playing with it, and Amanda joined her in the game for several minutes.
Finally, Nate called Emma back just as her cheeks were getting overly flushed. Amanda picked the child up and delivered her back to her father. Emma leaned in toward Nate and asked, “If Aunt Eugenia is looking for me a new mommy, can I have Amanda?”
Nate
Heat rushed to Nate’s cheeks, and when he peered up at Amanda, he saw that her color matched the way his felt. His heart leapt at the thought far more than he’d wanted to admit. Amanda had grown into a beautiful woman, but he could not forget when she was nine years old and cried when he’d bought her favorite filly. He’d been only sixteen at the time, but still old enough to feel responsible for the child’s hurting heart. They’d been friends ever since, seeing each other when Nate and her father had dealings or on church every Sunday. Nate had watched Amanda grow up. And though seven years was not an unheard-of age difference, he still felt that she’d be better off not tying herself to his life. She deserved better. She was so bright and lively and deserved someone who would match her light and vitality.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sure Miss Amanda loves you very much, Emma, but she’s young and may not be quite ready for motherhood, yet.”
Wrinkles formed in Amanda’s brow and a small frown pulled down on her lips. Her blue eyes met his and flashed with an emotion he wasn’t quite sure how to interpret. Anger? Indignation? He’d never seen either of those in her eyes before. “I’m actually a year older than Emma’s mother was when you were first married, and the same age as she was when she had Emma. I’m not as young as I was back when we first met, you know?”
“You’re right. I stand corrected.” He’d insulted her in much the same way as his aunt had been doing. If he could have kicked himself, he would have. He’d like to say that maybe his Aunt’s surliness was rubbing off on him, but he knew that was just a bad excuse. A man needed to own up to his own weaknesses and mistakes.
Her shoulders fell, and another emotion flashed through her eyes. Sadness. The same sort of sadness she’d had in her eyes on the front porch yesterday. He’d been tempted, then, to pull her into a hug and just hold her. He was tempted to do the same now, but not only would it be horribly inappropriate, but he already knew it would be hard to let her go. Emma was right. She would be the perfect stepmother for her. She would be the perfect wife for him. If only she was just a little bit older.
Just then, a wagon pulled up to the church yard, and a man in a fine black suit and hat dismounted from the carriage with his wife and daughter. The child was only a year or so older than Emma. He flashed a wide, toothy smile that made Nate lift a brow. It felt about as slimy as the bottom of the riverbed when one was tempted to walk across it. Nothing about the man seemed genuine. And just the fact he was coming up to the church yard, after church, seemed suspect. “Hello,” the man said, meeting eyes with Nate. “I’m looking for a John Tripp? I’m told by the man at the livery that he might have a pony or two for sale. I’m looking for something that can pull a cart for my daughter.”
The stranger failed to introduce himself, but instead of calling him out on it directly, Nate offered the man a hand. “I’m Nate Halberson. Happy to make your acquaintance.”
The slim, tall stranger lifted an eyebrow as his mustache twitched with a smirk. “Kurt Gould. A pleasure to meet you.”
The man’s grip was flaccid, and his skin was too smooth, as though he’d never worked a day in his life. Nate bit back bile and gestured toward Amanda. “This is Amanda Tripp, John’s daughter. I’m sure you can talk to her for a moment about what ponies they have available. I’ll head into the rectory and ask John to step out to see you.”
“That would be excellent. Thank you.” The man stepped even closer to Amanda, the smile on his face becoming smarmy as he eyed her up and down.
That action set Nate’s teeth on edge. Amanda smiled up at him but took an unconscious step back as he crowded her space. The man was about the same age as Nate, perhaps even a year or so older. For him to purposefully flirt with a young lady in front of his own wife had to make him one of the dirtiest lowlifes Nate had ever chanced to meet. He stepped between them, forcing the man to step back, and handed Amanda his daughter. “Could you watch Emma while I fetch your father?”
“Of course,” she said and blinked up at him, nodding.
Nate backed toward the church, loathe to turn his back on the man who would act so banally on a Sunday. Once he reached the step of the church, he rushed inside to find John Tripp. He didn’t have to search far, as John was talking to the pastor, just inside the rectory. “John. I’m glad to have found you. There’s a gentleman outside looking for you. Says he was told by Paps at the livery to see you about buying a pony.”
John blinked and then nodded. He shook the pastor’s hand and then followed Nate out the door of the church. Once back out in the sunlight, Nate spotted Mr. Gould standing too close to Amanda again, taking liberties even with his daughter present. Nate peered behind the man into the wagon and found the other daughter getting unruly in the mother’s lap. Perhaps the mother was too preoccupied to care about the ungentlemanly behavior of her husband?
But once the man spied John coming toward him, he took a step back and offered that same slimy smile that made Nate’s skin crawl. There was just something about the man that Nate found far from trustworthy. And he absolutely did not like the way that the man looked at Amanda.
“You must be the man I’m looking for. John Tripp?” the man asked, extending his hand. “I’m Kurt Gould. My daughter and I have just moved to Ft. Bridger. We’re looking for a pony, and someone told me that the best ponies reside here in Belle.”
John took the man’s hand and pumped it twice. “That’s awfully kind of whoever said it. We do breed quality appaloosas, many of them are pony-sized.”
“Excellent. Let me introduce my daughter, Veronica. Miss Garnet, would you please bring down Veronica?” The stranger called up into the carriage.
“Yessir!” the woman who Nate had assumed was the man’s wife hopped down and helped the young daughter out.
The man smoothed both sides of his mustache on his upper lip as he gestured toward the woman and child. “And this is Miss Garnet, my daughter’s governess. We lost Victoria’s mother in childbirth, and I’ve had yet to find a woman suitable to be her stepmother.”
Nate’s heart dropped in his chest and his stomach twisted. Kurt Gould looked once more at Amanda like a hunter would his prey, and the walls came crashing in around Nate. He had denied his feelings for Amanda in the hopes that she would find a younger, brighter suitor for herself that would be better for her than Nate, himself. But this man, this stranger, was not what Nate had had in mind when he’d pushed aside the idea of marrying Amanda himself.
Chapter 6
Amanda
When Nate returned with his arms outstretched for his daughter, Amanda couldn’t help but notice the way he nervously glanced at the stranger who was speaking to her father. It wasn’t very often that strangers came to Belle, at least not many that Amanda had heard of since they lived just outside town and weren’t likely to hear all of the gossip that the girls in town her age would be subject to. But she’d seen Nate with several men in the past and had never quite seen the kind of suspicion he held for this man now.
Her father seemed friendly enough with him to make her happy.
After Emma left her arms, she found that they ached in a strange way. She’d been holding the child for so long that afternoon, that missing her presence caused an unusual feeling. Like Amanda was missing something. She didn’t mind holding the three-year-old at all. Even though the discussion of ponies for sale was of no intere
st to Nate, he tarried and stayed by to hear it, as well.
“I’m not sure if we have just the right pony for you, as most of ours are riding ponies and not taught to drive, but I’m sure we can work out a situation where you can take a pony on short term trial to see if it will work for you, or you can leave your cart with us and allow us to train the pony to pull it.” Her father wasn’t one who would say that a pony could do something it couldn’t just to make a sale. Nor was he the kind who made a person stick with a pony that wasn’t working out for them.
Mr. Gould nodded. “Either way sounds reasonable. Shall we take a look at the ponies you have, then?”
“My daughter can ride in the wagon with you and guide you to our ranch. I’ll just saddle up my gelding at the livery and pony her mare back to the farm. If that will work for you?” her father asked. The wind picked up a bit and everyone pulled their coats tighter around them.
Except for Nate, who wouldn’t stop frowning. “I brought my wagon, too, John. Why don’t you go ahead and go with Mr. Gould yourself, and Paps at the livery can help hitch up both your horses to my wagon and take them back to the ranch for you.”
“Thank you for the offer, Nate. Actually. How about Amanda goes with you to get the horses and you can give her a hand and stay with her?” her father said as he and Mr. Gould began to mount Mr. Gould’s carriage.
As Amanda walked over toward Nate, she was surprised to see his posture relax, but his eyes still held tension as he looked over toward Mr. Gould’s carriage. There was definitely some sort of animosity there, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. The man had been friendly thus far, and she hadn’t seen him do anything untoward to Nate or Emma. With a sigh, she followed them as they went to meet up with Evelyn and Eugenia.