Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

by Emily Woods

  “Want some of this?”

  He looked up to see Austin holding out a bottle of something.

  “What is it?” he asked cautiously, thinking that it was some kind of alcohol, but it seemed a bit bizarre that the Bible-thumper would offer him such a thing.

  “Liniment,” he said simply, setting the bottle on the floor beside him and then dropping down on his own bed, taking up his Bible.

  Cole stared at the bottle for a minute or two before picking it up and inspecting the label in the candlelight. He'd never had a reason to use such a thing before.

  “So, what, I just put it on places that are...sore?”

  “Yep. You'll probably want to put it on your lower back.”

  He actually felt the most pain on his backside, but he didn't think it was meant for that.

  “Thanks,” he mumbled, placing the bottle near Austin's bed. “But I'll be fine.” Part of him didn't want to take it because then he might owe the man something. He didn't like to be indebted to others, not even for something small like a few spoonfuls of liniment. Plus, he thought it might make him look weak in the eyes of the others.

  “Suit yourself,” Austin replied, not even looking up from his reading.

  The other men sat down to play cards again, but Cole didn't have the strength or desire to join them tonight. Instead, he covertly observed them all.

  Boone, Mark, Charlie, and Jesse were engrossed in their game, frowning and scowling at their cards. They didn't look terribly content with their lot in life. There was no joy in their expressions. Their lives were marked by long days of hard work and monthly visits to town in winter. Cole had heard that they would leave Saturday evening and come back late on Sunday, supposedly spending all their earnings and passing out in the saloon overnight or dragging themselves up to a room over the bar. He knew well enough what went on there.

  The only puzzle was Mark. He didn't seem like a careworn cowboy. Cole pegged him for about twenty-two or so, not exactly fresh-faced, but not hardened either. He suspected that the man was caught in limbo, not wanting to associate with the Jesus-loving Austin and hanging around with the other men by default.

  Through half-slit eyes, he regarded Austin. The man's serene face reflected peace and contentment. Did he come by that naturally or did it have something to do with his faith? Cole wasn't a complete heathen. He'd sat through numerous sermons in his life, dragged to church by his uncle, but he couldn't find anything in those long, dry talks that would make a man feel his life was worth living.

  Curiosity overwhelmed even his desire for sleep.

  “Hey, Austin?”

  The man looked up immediately, his expression open. “Yep?”

  “You happy here? Working on Triple Range for Luke?”

  Clearing his throat, he didn't reply at first. “I'm not sure how to answer that exactly. I don’t know if happiness comes from a job or a place. I like the ranch just fine, and I sure do enjoy working for the Winstons, but happy?” He shook his head a little. “I get that from another source.”

  “God?” Cole didn't ask snidely, but with mild interest. “How does that happen?”

  Now Austin closed the Bible and looked at him intently. “Do you really want to know?” When Cole nodded, he pursed his lips and closed his eyes momentarily. When he opened them, Cole saw that the usual placid look was replaced with passion. “I've done a lot wrong in my life, a lot to be ashamed of.” His voice was low, but Cole could feel the heat of his words. “I haven't told these guys anything, but I was once so far gone that I made them look like angels, even Charlie.”

  He couldn't help it. A snort escaped before he could stop it.

  “Yeah, I know. But I'm serious. You know what saved me? You know why I'm still here, breathing and talking?” He held up the Bible. “Just because of this. A man came into the saloon where I was probably gonna die one night and looked me in the eye. He asked me, ‘You wanna live or die, son? If you wanna live, walk out of here with me right now.’ And you know what? I did. At the time, I wouldn't have been able to tell you what made me do it, but I believe that it was God, calling me out of the grave.”

  Cole had no reply. His whole life, he felt like he was staring into a big hole, pitch black. Coming out west to pursue his dream was the only thing he’d ever wanted, but now that he was gaining some headway toward his goal, he wasn’t sure if it was going to ultimately make him happy.

  “Thanks for telling me, man,” he replied gruffly. “I appreciate it. And, uh, I'm glad you got your life back on track.”

  Austin's eyes still burned with fire. “You can do it too, Cole. God is waiting on you.”

  So many emotions roiled around in his stomach that he almost felt sick.

  “Thanks. I’ll, uh, think about it.”

  He rolled over and stared at the wall, wondering if God was big enough to fill the hole.

  Maddie scrubbed the dishes hard that night, punishing them for her lack of courage. Why hadn't she tried harder to talk to Cole? He was right there, eating dinner under her own father's roof.

  Sure she found him attractive, but there was something else there, something mysterious and almost dangerous. It made her feel alive just to be in the same room with him. That longing, that ache for adventure and something more than her little life here, rose to a fevered pitch when he was around. It was as though he was the keeper of the secrets, and she just had to find the key.

  “I think that's clean,” an amused voice said behind her. She turned to see Great Aunt Marge, or Gram as she called her for short. She was the only grandmother Maddie would ever get to know, and it pleased the woman, as she had no children or grandchildren of her own.

  Carefully, she put the plate on the drying rack. “I was just making sure,” she said quietly, forcing her voice to be calm. “I can handle this, Gram,” she told her. “Go rest with the others.”

  “Aw, I'll rest when I'm dead. I'd rather spend my time being productive.” She grabbed a towel from the table and began drying the dishes. “Seems like you have a thing or two on your mind, Maddie dear. Want to talk?”

  She released a long sigh. “I talked to Elise last night and Tallie today. It didn't do any good. I just have to bear it.”

  “Bear what exactly? Come on now. Those other two girls are great, but I've got twenty or thirty years on either of them. Talk to me.”

  Was there any point in going over it again? Maybe one more perspective would help.

  “I just feel like I have no freedom over my future. Mom and Dad probably expect me to marry Jacob or Mark or some other ranch hand and live the rest of my life here.”

  “I see.” Marge reached for another dish and wiped it dry before continuing. “And what do you want?”

  “I don't know, but something else. If I could just go into town for a while, or maybe go back east to school? But they would never agree to that.”

  Marge frowned a bit and appeared to be thinking. “You want a job in town? Would that help?”

  The way she said it, just matter-of-fact without any discouragement, made Maddie feel validated. “Maybe... It would be something, anyway.”

  A few more minutes went by. “Well, my friend Thelma runs the boarding house and I know she could use some help with housekeeping. It wouldn't be too exciting, but it would be a change of scenery. Let me talk to your folks and see what they say, alright?”

  Maddie dropped the rag she'd been using and enveloped the older woman in a tight hug. “You're the best, Gram! The absolute best!” she squealed.

  “Land sakes, girl. I can't guarantee anything. I just said I would talk to them.”

  “Still,” she said, pulling out of the hug, her eyes shining. “This is the first time anyone's ever tried to really understand or help me. Thank you!”

  It was hard to sleep that night. Maddie kept envisioning herself working in the boarding house, meeting all kinds of interesting people, walking the streets of town, and looking in the shops every day.

  “Thank you,”
she said under her breath. Her heart knew what her mind had shut down. She was saying thank you to her heavenly Father.

  7

  In the end, it didn't matter much what Gram said. Her parents adamantly refused to let her go.

  “You're too young,” they insisted. “What's the hurry?”

  “What do you want me to do with my life?” she nearly shouted. “You want me to marry one of the hands? Fine! Which one?”

  Her father pulled back, an appalled look on his face. “You will not talk to us like that, young lady, no matter if you think you're an adult or not. Your mother and I know what's best for you, and taking a job in town isn't it. I’m surprised your gram would even suggest it.”

  Maddie stalked off to the barn, grumbling and muttering. When she got to Spark's stall, she settled down a little.

  “Unbelievable!” she told her horse. “You'd think I was ten or twelve the way they're talking to me.” A noise from the far side of the barn alerted her to someone else's presence. “Who's there?” she called out. It was likely just one of the hands, but drifters were known to take shelter in a barn overnight. Generally, they were harmless, but she put a hand on the nearby pitchfork just in case.

  “Don't run me through.” came a voice that was starting to haunt her dreams. Cole emerged from the shadows with some tools in his hands. “Just need a few things.”

  She sighed and dropped the pitchfork.

  “You startled me,” she said flatly. Even the sight of Cole’s handsome face didn’t cheer her up this morning. Turning her back to him, she studied Spark's flank, pretending to pick some stray piece of hay off it.

  “I could say the same of you,” he replied. Even though she wasn't looking at him, she felt like he might be grinning.

  “I doubt it. I don't think a lion would startle you.” It was true. Even though he was young, he seemed to have the courage and bearing of an older person. Taking a deep breath, she rotated just a little so that she could see him standing outside the stall without looking him full in the face. She didn’t want to risk blushing like a school girl, especially not in her current mood. “You've done and seen a lot for someone your age.”

  She flicked her eyes in his direction long enough to see his brows lower. “I’m not sure why you say that. After losing my parents, living with my relatives was a nightmare. I planned to leave as soon as I could, but coming out here is the biggest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “It’s a lot more than anything I’ve done. Plus, you’ve seen the whole country practically. I imagine you had some adventures along the way.”

  He shrugged a little. “Your imagination is probably better than reality.”

  “Still, I think your life has been pretty exciting, especially compared to mine.”

  “I don’t know about that. Besides coming out here, I haven’t done anything dangerous in my life. I’m just not that kind of person.”

  “Then I'm safe with you?” she replied, well aware of how flirtatious her voice sounded. She was just testing something out. She never would have dared to flirt with any of the other hands or even any neighbors, fearing that her father would hear of it and she would be in trouble, but for whatever reason, she thought she could get away with it now.

  “Yeah, pretty safe,” he replied evenly, looking at the tools in his hands. He wasn't going to play her game. “Well, I guess I'd better get back to work. Wouldn't want to be fired for chatting up the owner's daughter.”

  The words were innocent enough, and could have even been playful, but she heard an undercurrent of tension in them. What did it mean?

  “I wouldn't worry about that,” she said before he could leave. Cautiously, she strolled over to the door of the stall. “He's too busy to notice who I'm talking to.”

  Now he did laugh. “I doubt that. Besides, he's got eyes and ears everywhere. Anyway, have a good morning.”

  After he left, Maddie frowned. Even though she had very little experience interacting with men on a social level, she thought that he might have responded more than that. She wasn't hideous, but maybe she wasn't his type. Or maybe she was doing it all wrong.

  “Hey, Miss Maddie,” Mark greeted her as she brought Spark out for a ride. “Where are you headed?”

  She looked down at the earnest cowboy, and before she could stop herself, she flung her hair over her shoulder and smiled down at him coyly. “Where are you headed? Maybe I'll go in the same direction.”

  “Uh, well, I'm, um, just getting some nails...for the, uh, you know, fence.”

  His stumbling combined with his red face made it clear that she had some power over him. Although she relished that feeling for a few seconds, she knew it was wrong and was immediately contrite. She quickly schooled her features to a more neutral expression.

  “I won't keep you then. Have a good day.”

  She pulled the reins and turned her toward the three peaks that rose majestically in the north and spurred Spark on. There were a lot of feelings bubbling up inside her and she needed to run them off. She also had a lot of thinking to do.

  Cole clenched his teeth as he watched Maddie ride off toward the mountain range. He recognized a flirtatious woman when he saw one, and it grated on him that she was so free with her attention. First she'd lavished it on him, and then when he didn't respond, she turned it on poor Mark.

  He called the man poor because it was clear that he was infatuated with Maddie. That wasn't hard considering how appealing she was. Her pert form, shining hair, and snapping eyes would attract most men, but he wasn't one of them.

  Today, he was assigned the task of building a fence alongside Mark. The other man excused himself for a few minutes under the pretense of going to the outhouse, but Cole suspected he needed a minute to compose himself after Maddie’s attention, so he focused on the fence.

  “Hot out today, isn't it?” He turned to see Luke approaching with a tall glass of something in his hand. “Lemonade? Kate just made some.”

  He took the proffered drink and downed it in one gulp.

  “Thanks,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “That was good.”

  Luke leaned against the portion of fence that had been recently built, his forearms resting across the top slat and his boot on the bottom one. His eyes were fixed on something in the distance and he seemed to be lost in thought, so Cole simply carried on with his work.

  “How are you getting on?” Luke asked suddenly. “Alright, I hope.”

  “Uh, yeah. No complaints. The bunkhouse is better than most and the food is good. The work is pretty much what I expected.”

  Luke set the glass down and picked up a hammer. The two of them worked silently side by side for several minutes. Finally, Luke spoke again.

  “Not too many city boys know how to work like you do.” There was a distinct compliment in that statement, but Cole tried not to let it go to his head.

  “Thanks. I, uh, just want to learn how to do things. I hope to learn everything about how a ranch runs. I may have been born in the city, but this is my dream.”

  He heard Luke chuckle a little. It was a bit of an indulgent laugh and it irked him. Of course he wouldn’t say anything, but Luke must have read his expression.

  “I’m not making fun or you or anything. I just see myself in you, that’s all.”

  Cole relaxed. That comment lightened his mood considerably.

  Mark came back a few minutes later, so Luke left to check on the others. They spent the remainder of the morning building the fence without much conversation. What could he say to make the other man feel better when he felt like he was on the edge of his own feelings most of the time?

  When the lunch bell was rung, they put away their tools and headed in. The aroma of soup and fresh bread made his stomach growl and his mouth water. Never had food tasted this good in his life.

  As was his way, Luke asked they all bow their heads so that he could say grace. Cole did that much, but his eyes remained slightly open for a few seconds. He noticed
that all the men had their eyes closed and wondered if they were all so devout or if this was just out of respect to their boss. Amused, he noticed that even the small children followed suit.

  Soon after the prayer, murmurs of contentment rounded the table regarding the food. Kate and Marge accepted the praise, but Maddie remained silent.

  “Out riding this morning, were you, daughter?” Luke said softly. Maddie nodded and took another bite of food. “You should help your mother out more, not just please yourself.”

  Her face flushed, but she didn't speak.

  “She did a number of other chores before leaving,” Kate informed him mildly. “And she’ll be helping out this afternoon, so I allowed her to go.”

  Luke grunted in reply, but it was clear he wasn't happy. Cole saw that Maddie was irritated, and he wished he could tell her to appreciate the attention her parents paid to her. He would do anything to be scolded again by his parents, but of course, that was never going to happen.

  “Thomas is going to train some horses this afternoon,” Luke announced. “Whoever would like to learn the business is welcome to stay behind.”

  Cole looked around the table, but most of the men murmured something about unfinished work in one part of the ranch or another.

  “I'll stay,” he offered, his heart beating wildly. Why was no one else jumping on this amazing opportunity? It was far better than pounding away at a fence, and learning more about horses was part of what he would need to know for the future.

  But Luke looked at him a little skeptically. “It’s hard work,” he informed him. “But if you think you’re up for it…”

  Cole nodded, but then asked, “Who's Thomas?”

  “Ah, you haven't met our trainer yet. He's also a sort of animal doctor. He's a well-educated fellow who sent away for some books and learned all about taking care of animals. He and his family live on Triple Range, a ways to the south, but he travels from ranch to ranch as needed.”

  “And there's another rancher too, isn't there? Carl somebody?”