Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

by Emily Woods

  “Bowman,” Maddie supplied, talking for the first time since the meal started. “He has his own stock off to the east.”

  Cole nodded, trying to get the names in his mind. “Right. Mister Porter, uh, John told me about him.” On his first full day, John had told him about all the people who worked and lived on the ranch, but he had a hard time keeping them all straight. “And Mister Crawford?”

  “They have their own ranch,” Maddie said again, leaning forward and smiling. “His wife is lovely and their children are darling. She's a good friend of mine.”

  Her words weren't flirtatious, but her mannerisms were and Cole didn't know where to look. He suspected she was behaving this way just to annoy her father, but he wished she wouldn't involve him. His suspicions were confirmed when she glanced in her father's direction, her mouth set in a firm line.

  Later on, Luke asked to speak with him privately.

  “My daughter is a willful girl,” he started, his expression grim. “She has a mind of her own.”

  The warning seemed to be that he shouldn't encourage Maddie. Was he seriously worried about him?

  “I’ve noticed,” he replied, but when Luke gave him a sharp look, he looked down at his ground. Apparently, that wasn’t the right thing to say. “But I think I know what you’re saying, and I hear you. Everyone on the ranch respects you, sir, and your daughter of course.”

  Luke nodded and walked over to the side of the barn. Cole followed and saw another man in his early thirties standing in the paddock with what looked to be a very young horse.

  They'd reached the paddock and Luke introduced him to Thomas.

  “Nice to meet you,” the older man said. “Have any experience with training horses?”

  “Not really. I mean, I've ridden my own for many years, but he came already trained.”

  “I learned from the best,” he said with a grin. “John Porter is the finest horseman around, but he's busy with foreman work, so I get to do this now.”

  “I'll leave you to it,” Luke said, giving each of them a nod. “See you at supper.”

  Cole spent the rest of the afternoon watching Thomas getting the horse to trust him before even approaching. Fascinated, he stood behind the fenced-off area as Thomas flicked a rope toward the gelding, getting him used to seeing it. He'd walk toward him and then retreat, keeping his head slightly down and his eyes fixed on the horse's side.

  “If you look him in the eye, it can make him nervous. I usually just hang out for a while, getting him used to me. Sometimes I'll bring in my own horse and feed him treats so that the new one can see I'm not a predator.”

  Cole spent the afternoon completely enthralled by the process. By the end of the day, Thomas not only had the horse eating out of his hand, but he was able to brush his coat and even put a rope around his neck.

  “Tomorrow, I'll start with the lunge. That part takes a while, but it's worth it.”

  Dinner was a lively meal with the men bantering with each other. Thomas's family had come over and it was easy to see that they all enjoyed each other's company.

  Despite himself, Cole was starting to enjoy his time on the ranch, and thoughts of revenge and bitter feelings began to be replaced by something else: a sense of belonging.

  8

  Maddie was bored. Not only had her parents denied her the opportunity of working in town, but she'd also failed to get the attention of the one person on the ranch who might offer a diversion from her dull life.

  Cole Reynolds was a puzzle. And the more she thought about, the more she didn't buy his story that he'd heard about the ranch all the way in Philadelphia and had traveled for days and days so that he could work here. The train ride out was very expensive. Why had he spent so much to come out and work for a pittance? Technically, he was working for free at the moment.

  And to add to that, he was completely immune to her. Why was that?

  She'd never tried out her charms on any of the other hands before today. Her mother had warned her against doing that, and to be fair, she had no interest in them anyway, but her ego had been bruised by Cole and so she'd flirted a little with Mark.

  Poor Mark. It was so obvious that he liked her, and up until now, she'd done nothing to encourage him. He was a nice guy and not exactly unattractive, but he wasn't the type of man she wanted to end up with. Nor was he the type to engage in harmless flirtations, so she'd steered clear of him, not wanting to break his heart.

  She would find a way to make up for her earlier insensitivity, but for now, she wanted to figure out who Cole was and what he was doing here. Maybe she couldn't go to town and meet interesting people, but she could certainly make her own excitement here.

  After dinner was over, she lingered in the parlor with her parents and siblings instead of heading up to her room as usual to curl up with her newest romance, dime store novel or penny dreadful. She wasn't that fussy about her reading material. She'd read whatever the general store had in stock. In any case, she decided to spend time with her family instead.

  “Going to give your embroidery another try?” her mother asked with a small smile. “I got the blood out of the sampler.”

  As uninterested as she was in the pastime, she took it up to please her mother. “I'll never be as good as you are,” she said, flopping on the sofa beside her. She made a few attempts to finish a flower but then turned her attention to her father and brother, who were engaged in another round of checkers. Ten-year-old Lucas was clever and could beat her every time, but her father was the champion of the household. He won nine out of ten games he played, never letting anyone win a game. He thought that was tantamount to lying.

  “Good move, Lucas,” she encouraged when he swiped two pieces in a double jump. The boy grinned up at her briefly before whipping his attention back to the game as his father proceeded to jump over a piece.

  “Maybe when you two are done, I can play the winner?” she asked, knowing full well that it would be her father. This would be the perfect time to find out anything he knew about Cole.

  Luke looked at her mildly. “Since when do you play checkers?”

  With a careless shrug of one shoulder, she smiled. “Might as well. There isn't much else to do.”

  “Are you finished with your new books already?” her mother asked in surprise. “We just bought you five a week ago.”

  “Uh, no, but...well, I just didn't feel like reading tonight.”

  They let it go, probably because they were happy that she'd gotten over her earlier sullen mood.

  Ten minutes later, Lucas watched as his father took his last piece. However, he didn't become annoyed or throw a fit the way other boys might have. He just grinned at his father and said, “I've been watching you. One of these days, I'm going to win more than lose.”

  Luke reached over and tousled the boy's head. “I'm sure of it. Now, Maddie, you're ready for your trouncing?”

  Laughing a little, she took the seat opposite him and set up the pieces. They played for a few minutes before she started carefully questioning him.

  “I was surprised you took on a new hand. Did we really need one?”

  Studying the board, Luke didn't answer right away. Maddie knew that he planned his moves three or four in advance and there was no rushing him. Finally, he made a move and looked up at her.

  “We’d been talking about it some. And Cole made us an offer we couldn't refuse.”

  She knew what he was referring to. Everyone on the ranch knew that Cole was working for free to prove himself. “Still, you'll have to start paying him eventually, won't you?”

  “Yep, but I suspect he'll earn it.” He looked at the board again. “Are you going to move?”

  Carelessly, she moved a piece. “Did he come with any references?” she tried to keep her voice from sounding too interested.

  Luke ignored the question for several minutes as he contemplated his next move. After taking one of her pieces, he answered. “No, but I can tell a man's character by his handshake an
d manner. He's a good man. Your turn.”

  Her father already had half her pieces. At this rate, the game would be over in five minutes. She knew that to keep going in this line of questioning would raise suspicion, so she changed subjects for the time being.

  “I'm sorry for throwing a fit this morning. I guess I just want a change in my life. Nothing new ever happens here.”

  “That's not true,” Jane piped up. “Spring is coming. That's new.”

  Maddie laughed and chucked her seven-year-old sister under the chin. “New to you, but I've seen eighteen of them already. I know everything that's going to happen.”

  Her parents exchanged an amused look. “Do you now? I've seen nearly over fifty of them and each one is different to me. In any case, spring is my favorite season. It makes me feel like a young man again,” her father said. He was talking to her, but his eyes were on her mother, who sent him a warm look in response. The tenderness between them made her heart ache. Would she ever find such love? Was there any young man in the world as wonderful as her father?

  Even though he wasn't her father by blood, he'd been as good to her as if he were. He'd given her as much love and discipline as the others, and she'd never felt anything was missing in her life until the past year or so. It could have something to do with her voracious appetite for romance novels, or maybe it was just because she was getting older and becoming more aware of life beyond her front door.

  “Dad? It's your move,” she said lightly, drawing his attention back to the game.

  “Oh, sorry. I was distracted.”

  Kate laughed a little. “I'll do what I can,” she whispered conspiratorially to Maddie.

  “No fair ganging up!” Luke protested. At his playful tone, the others deserted their own play and lunged at him. The board got knocked over and tickle fights were soon underway. Of course, Maddie was too old for such things, but she was amused to see her siblings tackle their father.

  A short time later, the younger ones were off to bed and she set up the game again. Luke seemed surprised to see her doing so when he came down from saying good night.

  “You want to play again?” he asked. “I thought you were just making up for before.”

  “Maybe I'll surprise you,” she replied in a mock-serious voice. “Or are you too tired? Do you need your bed? It's almost eight-thirty after all.”

  “Is that a crack at my age?” he replied dryly. When Kate came down the stairs a moment later, he turned to her. “Maddie's calling me old.”

  Her mother laughed and slipped an arm through his. “You are exactly the same as the day I laid eyes on you,” she complimented. “With a few gray hairs.”

  He pretended to grumble, but stole a kiss and resumed his spot. “Alright, miss. You asked for it, but don't expect me to hold back.”

  Three games later, she admitted defeat. “Maybe it's too simplistic for me,” she joked. “How about a game of chess?”

  Luke quirked an eyebrow at her. “Really?”

  “No, not really.” In a moment of unabashed affection, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. She was actually sorry for her petulant behavior earlier. He was a good man and didn't deserve such an ungrateful child.

  “What was that for?” he asked, surprised but pleased.

  “For being a good father,” she replied sincerely.

  Now he narrowed his eyes and lowered his head to look at her skeptically. “What do you want?”

  Laughing, she shook her head. She did want something, but to ask for it now would spoil the moment. “Good night, Daddy.” She went over and kissed her mother's cheek as well. “Good night, Mama. Love you both.”

  She knew that they were a little taken aback by her display of affection, but she pretended not to notice. Even though she'd been complaining about them to Cole earlier, she knew that she had good parents. They were far too protective, and she would find a way to live her own life before too long, but for now, she would content herself to unraveling the mystery that their newest ranch hand brought.

  Tomorrow, she would begin in earnest.

  Over the next few days, Cole learned more than he could have believed there was to know about training a horse. It was slow work, but he could see the results after just three days.

  “I can't believe she's already wearing a saddle,” he told Thomas in amazement. “And she's not even bucking it off.”

  The day before, the filly had taken a blanket on her back and a little bit of pressure from Thomas's hands, but he didn't think she would graduate to a saddle already.

  “When will she be ready to ride?”

  “Oh, we need a little time yet. Each horse is different. I'll be bringing in my horse again today so she can see how he trusts me.”

  Every day, Thomas brought his gelding in and let the horses socialize a little. He gave his horse, Rebel, a treat each time after the horse did something he wanted, such as taking the bit or a saddle. According to Thomas, the filly was watching and taking it all in. Cole wasn't so sure, but it seemed about right.

  The experience would have been a lot brighter but for one thing: Maddie seemed to keep popping up every so often to chat. She didn't talk directly to him, but mostly made conversation with Thomas. Since Maddie was there, Mark would appear every so often, but Cole noticed that she wasn't anything more than polite to him now. Was it because she was sorry for her flirtations from a few days ago or was she still playing with him? Either way, he didn't pay her too much attention.

  However, today, she seemed inclined to talk to him.

  “Thomas is so good at what he does,” she stated. “I could watch him all day.”

  “Mmm,” he replied noncommittally.

  She leaned against the fence, one foot on the lower rung, her arms folded over one another. He thought it was funny that she looked so much like Luke, especially since they weren't even related by blood.

  “I guess you didn't have much opportunity to see this kind of thing where you're from. Or work in such amazing surroundings.” She tilted her head up toward the sun. The day was warming up, but the mountains still showcased their snowy peaks. “I've never been to the city. I wonder if I would like it.”

  Clearly, she wasn't going away and ignoring her actually seemed to make her talk more.

  “It seems like there's a lot going on, but none of it is all that great. I'd rather be out here,” he commented.

  “I guess the grass is always greener somewhere else,” Maddie commented. “Or things are never as good as they seem. I've read about the cities and thought they sound exciting with their operas, museums, and dances. We don't get too much of that out here, not even in Great Falls.”

  “I think I spotted some kind of theater or some such on the way through. You've never been?”

  Maddie laughed humorlessly. “It's not the kind of place decent young women frequent, according to my father. The only places I've been to in town are the general store, the hotel, the bakery, and church. Oh, and one time, I went into the bank.”

  For a moment, he nearly felt sorry for her. She really was sheltered. But then the feeling slid away. Sheltered, but well-loved... There was nothing to pity. Then it occurred to him that she might be paying attention to him to get on her father’s nerves, and he didn’t like that idea at all. He needed Luke to like and trust him. It would be a good idea to steer clear of his eldest daughter.

  “Come on over, Cole,” Thomas urged. “I'll bring her next to the fence and you put some pressure on her back.”

  He was grateful for the distraction and ducked into the paddock. The rest of the afternoon was spent earning the trust of the nervous filly and trying not to give Maddie another thought.

  It wasn’t easy.

  9

  Frustrated by a week of prying with no result to show for it, Maddie nearly threw her detective novel against the wall one evening after dinner. What would Sherlock Holmes do? She'd read all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books to date, but she knew that she didn't have even half of the deduct
ive powers of the famous detective.

  Well, the first thing she knew she'd have to do was observe everything carefully, including body language, manner of speaking, and so forth. She knew that Cole Reynolds wasn't who he was pretending to be, and if it was his intent to hurt her family, she would do what she could to prevent that. She’d gone from being mildly resentful of her parents to very protective. She loved them dearly, even if they did want to keep her a child.

  She glanced at the fallen book and thought a little more. It was also important to keep a diary of everything that happened, so she reached for her journal and wrote down everything that she could think of relating to Cole from the moment she first met him to their interaction today.

  It took her over an hour to write everything down, but by the time she was done, she had quite a collection of information. Over the next few days, she would casually mention the facts that he had stated and see if there were any differences in what he'd said previously. She'd also carefully insert false information into their conversations and see what happened.

  That night, she had strange dreams that she was chasing Cole through a forest and he was laughing at her because just as she was about to catch him, he disappeared again.

  In the morning, she was in poor spirits, which quickly became even worse when she realized what day it was.

  “The clothes are all sorted,” her mother informed her. “And the men have brought the wood to the fire pit. You can start the fire and haul the water.”

  If there was one chore she hated with a passion, it was washing clothes. It was such an arduous task, back-breaking with the hauling of the wood, making a fire, beating the clothes, soaking, swirling, wringing them out, and finally hanging them on the line. It took the whole day to complete, even with three women working hard.

  “Yes, Mama,” she said with a sigh as she scraped the little bit of leftover food from her siblings’ plates into the large slop bucket for the pigs. She longed to run back upstairs and look over what she'd written last night and add the morning's events to the entries. There wasn't anything particularly eventful to write down, but a good detective kept meticulous records.