Chapter Six
Oliver looked at Melvin in disbelief. “What do you mean you can explain? You know this woman?”
His friend looked sheepish as he drew closer. “I can explain,” he continued. Melvin turned to the young woman. “I’m sorry I didn’t meet you when I was supposed to. The wheel on the wagon got stuck between two rocks and broke off. I spent the better part of three hours tryin’ to get to someplace where I could get help to repair it. By the time I was done it was late, and when I arrived you were already gone. We must’ve just missed each other on the journey over.”
Oliver’s mind was foggy as he listened. It was hard for him to believe that his old friend would go to such lengths, and behind his back. Finally, acceptance settled in his chest and he gave Melvin a cold glare. “How could you?”
The other man’s blue eyes met his. “I did it for you.”
“You did what?” Oliver questioned. His voice rose several octaves at the utterance. He looked at the young woman, who looked completely perplexed.
How could you do this, Melvin?
He returned his focus to his friend. “Tell me you didn’t do what I think you did? Tell me you didn’t use my picture and write this woman telling her I want a wife?” he bellowed. “I don’t want a wife. I’ve never said anything about wanting a wife.”
A sharp breath forced Oliver’s attention away from his friend. The young woman, Amelia, stood there with her mouth agape, her eyes wide, and her skin pale. The sight of her dismayed appearance only kindled his anger further.
“Do you see what you’ve done?” he continued to bellow at Melvin. “Did you ever think of the position you’d put this young woman in? She’s come all this way from…”
“Thinvale. Thinvale, Idaho,” Amelia interjected. It took her a while to reply, she was clearly in shock. Who could blame her? She stepped back from the pair of them. The photograph was still in her hand and her fist was tightened around it. She looked distressed and lowered her gaze.
“What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking about you,” Melvin answered. “You can’t go on this way forever, Oliver. You need someone in your life, a woman, to help around here. We’ve been doing the best we can all this time, but we both know it isn’t enough. This place needs a woman’s touch.” Melvin stepped closer and placed a hand on Oliver’s arm. “And I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” Oliver declared as he shrugged his arm away from him. “I don’t know why you keep thinking that I’m not? I don’t need anyone.”
Melvin looked at him sternly. “You don’t have anyone. That’s my concern.”
Oliver’s eyes shifted back to Amelia. How could Melvin bring this up in front of a stranger? Was he trying to embarrass him?
“It’s not like I lied,” Melvin continued. “Everythin’ I wrote was somethin’ you’d said to me.”
Oliver shook his head. “What are you talking about? I never told you to write anything for me?”
“I was askin’ you a whole lot of questions about what you wanted, your dreams and such? I was doin’ it so that when I wrote the letter it would be the truth. I wanted it to sound like you.”
Amelia’s eyes rose to meet his and Oliver was struck by her gaze. She looked so fragile and helpless, lost in an unthinkable situation. She’d been deceived by his friend, to believe that Oliver wanted her as his wife. He couldn’t imagine what a shock it had to be for her.
How did she get here? What had it cost her? She must have left her family and everyone and everything she loves back home. What will she do now?
Oliver could no longer look at her. He felt guilty and the fault wasn’t his own. It was Melvin’s.
“Oliver,” Melvin called. “Step aside with me?” he asked. Melvin’s attention was also on the silent young woman who was putting more and more space between herself and them. Oliver thought it best to oblige.
The two men walked away from the woodpile and drifted closer to the house, away from where Amelia could hear them.
“What the heck were you thinking, Melvin?” Oliver asked angrily. “You went behind my back, pretended to be me, and invited a woman from God knows where to just show up and marry me? What’re you gonna do now? She’s here, expecting a marriage, and I certainly am not going to marry her just because you think I need a wife!”
“You don’t see it, do you?” Melvin questioned. “You’ve spent your entire life on one course, and that was the one your father was on, but he isn’t here anymore, Oliver. It’s time you made a course for yourself.”
Melvin’s words only made Oliver angrier. What did he know about what he needed to do with his life? “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Melvin was unfazed. “I know better than you do. I was with your father for many years. I was with you for your entire life,” he stated. “I know what your Momma wanted for you, and your Father, and this isn’t it.”
Oliver’s brow wrinkled. “What are you talking about? This is Pop’s dream.”
“But it isn’t yours,” Melvin added. “And you’re wearing yourself out trying to keep up with it, and me too, and we can’t do this anymore. We need help here.” Melvin stepped closer to him. “I’m not gonna be here forever, Ollie. One day, and I don’t know how soon that might be, I won’t be here to help you. I don’t want you to be alone. I don’t want you to miss out on all the things that I did living someone else’s dreams.”
Oliver was struck. “Is that what you think you’ve been doing all this time?”
“It’s what I did,” Melvin admitted. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved your Momma and your Pop, and you. I just never found what I wanted in life. I was so happy doing for you all, that it never occurred to me that I didn’t have anything of my own. It didn’t occur to me until a few months ago, and then I realized, you were making the same mistakes I was. The only thing, you weren’t gonna realize it right away if I told you, and I didn’t want you to get to my age before you did. So I decided to do something about it.”
“By lying to that young woman?” Oliver questioned. “By sneaking around behind my back?”
“Maybe this wasn’t the right way to go about it, but it was done with the best intentions,” Melvin continued.
Oliver still couldn’t believe this was happening. He turned in Amelia’s direction to find her approaching them. She had such a strong, confident gait for a young woman. He found himself wondering what she was like. She had to be brave, to travel from her home, all alone, and come to a strange town to marry a man she’d never met before. There was something admirable about that.
“I’m sorry if I caused you any problems,” Amelia apologized. “You don’t need to trouble yourself any further. I’ll be on my way.”
“Where are you going?” Melvin asked, concerned.
Amelia looked back at them. “It’s a long walk back to town, and it’s getting dark, and I need to find a place to spend the night and figure some things out.”
She wants to head back to town alone on foot?
The thought hadn’t occurred to Oliver that she would need someplace to stay. Of course, she would think she was coming to live here. He looked at his friend. Melvin, you really didn’t think on this one.
Melvin’s gaze met his as he stared at Amelia speechless.
“Miss Donnel, please, let me fix this,” Melvin stated. “It’s my fault that you’re in this position. Not yours. You shouldn’t be apologizing.” Melvin turned to him, and Oliver could feel what was coming next. “Oliver.”
His eyes shifted between Melvin and Amelia.
“I made a mistake,” Melvin continued. “Don’t make Miss Donnel pay for it. She has no place to go, and she can’t walk all the way back to town on her own. It’s almost dark, and it’s dangerous out there, you know that. Besides, the hotel doesn’t take registrations after dark, not since they had that robbery a few months ago. Besides, that’s a lot of money for someone to pay when you weren’t plannin’ on it.”
&n
bsp; Amelia stood there silently. She looked so alone.
She is alone. She must be scared. What must she think of me, of this?
Her expression suddenly changed. Her lips pursed, her nostrils flared slightly and her expression hardened. “Don’t trouble yourself,” she stated. “It’s clear to me that I need to be on my way. There’s no help for me here.”
“Miss Donnel—” Melvin started.
“Don’t,” the young woman interrupted him. “I don’t want to hear it. I’m here because of you, and what you did. You lied to me. You deceived me and Mr. Gyles. I don’t want to stay here. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted, and where I can’t trust the people I’m around.”
Oliver was stunned by her blunt assessment of the situation. She had more spunk than she appeared to, and he was impressed. Most woman would have been timid and shy about the situation they’d found themselves in. Maybe even embarrassed. Not Amelia Donnel. She seemed emboldened.
She is much braver than she looks.
Amelia turned and began to stride away from them. Oliver was still lost in his own thoughts as she widened the gap between them.
“Oliver,” Melvin hissed. “You aren’t really gonna let that young woman walk all the way back to town on her own, are you? You don’t know what she’s left to be here,” he continued. “She can’t afford any hotel. She couldn’t even afford to get here. I paid her way. She’ll end up trying to find pity amongst strangers or sleeping at the station. You can’t allow that.”
Oliver’s eyes widened and snapped toward Amelia’s fleeing back.
“Miss Donnel!” he called after her. She didn’t turn around. He called her again, but still, she kept walking.
Oliver ran after the young woman. He would never be able to live with himself if she left his homestead and fell into some calamity. She’d suffered enough already because of Melvin, he didn’t want to add to it.
“Miss Donnel, please wait,” Oliver stated as he stepped in front of her. He met her eyes and was surprised by the steely gaze that was returned. “Please, wait a moment.”
“What for?” she snapped.
“Melvin is right. You can’t walk back to town alone, it’s far too dangerous,” he explained.
“I’ll be just fine,” she asserted. “I can take care of myself.”
Oliver stifled a smirk and tried to keep his expression steady. It was clear that she was no delicate flower who was afraid of her own shadow, but she didn’t know what it was like at night out there. There were bears, wolverines, and even cougars to think about.
“I’m sure you can take care of yourself,” Oliver agreed gently. “But I would be no kind of man to allow you to do that.”
“I can’t say I wouldn’t agree with you there,” she retorted as she held his gaze.
Oliver smiled. “Miss Donnel, I think we got off on the wrong foot.”
“You could say that. Your man tricked me and you…” she huffed but didn’t finish her sentence.
“I was less than hospitable,” Oliver added. “I’m sorry. I was angry about the situation and I didn’t really consider what it meant for you. I apologize, but despite that, I can’t allow you to leave.”
“Allow me?”
“It’s dangerous,” he insisted. “I’d feel guilty if something happened to you.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I can wait until the Sheriff passes this way. He said he would check in on me.”
Melvin stepped forward. “I passed the Sheriff on my way back,” he informed Amelia. “There was some calamity up at the Rodal place and he was heading back to town to get help. There’s no way he’ll be coming this way tonight.”
Amelia’s expression fell once more. Oliver felt sorry for her.
“I know this isn’t what you’d like,” he began. “But we have to make the best of this situation,” he continued. “You can stay here for the night, and tomorrow we can work something out to find you someplace to stay, or passage back home if you want.”
“No!” Amelia snapped. “I’m not going back.”
Oliver looked at her curiously, then his gaze turned to Melvin. His eyes were focused on his feet. There was something there that Olive didn’t know about, but clearly Melvin did, and whatever it was Oliver knew it wasn’t something good. His friend’s eyes finally met his.
“Miss Donnel,” he stated. “Please let me make you a good, hot meal to make up for what I’ve done,” he began. “I can fix you a nice room. We have plenty of space here, but we hardly get visitors. There are clean sheets and a warm bed,” he added encouragingly. “And you will be completely safe. Oliver and I will be complete gentleman, I assure you.”
Amelia looked at him sharply. “Forgive me if I don’t have much confidence in what you say.”
“Miss Donnel,” Oliver stated. “Please, I know that you’re upset and you have every right to be, but you need someplace to spend the night. Do you have the money for the hotel, even if you get back to town? It’s at least five dollars a night.”
Amelia’s beautiful brown eyes grew to the size of moons in her head. “Five dollars a night?”
“It’s a very fine hotel,” Melvin explained. “The owner is a very wealthy man and he likes luxury and so does his guests.”
“Only people who of a certain caliber stay there,” Oliver added.
Amelia’s gaze fell. “I’m not one of those,” she said quietly. “I can’t afford that.” She gripped the handle of her bag and seemed to bite her bottom lip, as it pulled in slightly.
“You can sleep in the main house and we can find a space in the barn if it will make you feel more comfortable,” Oliver offered. “Call it compensation for putting you in such a difficult position.”
She met his eyes. “Thank you,” she replied. “But I can’t put you out of your house for me. I’m not someone you invited here.”
“But you are here, and I was raised to take care of my guests,” Oliver explained. “No matter how they came to be here.”
“I can pay you for the room and board,” she offered.
“We won’t hear of that,” Melvin asserted. “It was my fault. I should be making things up to you, not you paying us to stay here. No, absolutely not. We wouldn’t hear of it. Right, Oliver?”
Oliver smiled. “No, definitely not.”
Amelia stood quietly for several minutes as she considered their offer. Oliver wasn’t offended, in fact, he found her careful consideration a mark of wisdom. She wasn’t the kind of woman who leaped on an opportunity, no matter how dire her situation might be. She took careful thought in what she did, which made Oliver wonder what Melvin had told her to get her to come there in the first place. He looked at his friend as the questioned bounced around in his mind.
“All right.”
Oliver turned around to find Amelia looking at him. Her gaze was much gentler than before, but far from comfortable. “Just for tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll think of some other accommodation.”
Melvin smiled brightly as he clapped his hands once. “Wonderful! I’ll get right to fixing your room, and then I’ll get some dinner on the table. I hope you like duck. We got a brace of them the other day and they are nice and fat.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of Amelia’s lips. “I’ve never had duck before.”
“You will tonight,” Oliver stated. “Come on in the house.”
Melvin rushed ahead and Amelia followed. Oliver walked behind them, his mind still trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. It was odd, but it seemed the perfect completion to the day given everything he felt earlier.
Hopefully, we’ll have a peaceful night.
The night passed quickly for Amelia. Despite everything that had happened, Oliver and Melvin proved to be impeccable hosts. Oliver made up a room for her, while Melvin prepared dinner. The older man insisted upon doing both, but in the end, Oliver’s will won out. It was clear who the boss was on that homestead, and it wasn’t Melvin Kaley.
The meal
was delicious. Amelia never had duck before, but the dish presented to her was succulent. The meat fell off the bone, juicy and tender. The vegetables were perfectly roasted with just enough bite, the way she liked it, and the potatoes were creamy and the biscuits light, buttery on the inside, golden, and crisp on the outside. It felt strange having a man take care of her instead of the other way around. Amelia thought it a welcomed change.
The inside of the main house was simple. It was a large open room with an oversized stone fireplace and several broad, patterned rugs on the wood floor. Several small, low, padded chairs were dotted around the room, with a single couch to the far right. There was a short ladder against the wall behind it, that went up to a small loft area where a bed was set up.
For the Love of a Wounded Cowboy: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 6