Zack's Montana Bride (Sweet, Clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series)

by Maya Stirling

  But that had all changed when her father had taken Lydia to live in San Francisco. The months had passed and the pain of separation from Zack had faded. And then Daniel had come into her life. He'd been different from Zack. The kind of man who felt at home in towns. The type of gentleman who would never consider moving to a place like the wilds of Montana. But Lydia had gotten used to those differences. Even started to cherish them. And once again, the memory of Zack had faded even more, until it became only an occasional, barely sensed tug at her heart during unguarded moments.

  Now she was lying next to the man she had left all those years ago. What did she feel? Was it more than a gentle tug at her heart?

  Before she could answer that, Lydia heard a familiar sound. Daisy.

  There was a soft, quiet knock at the door and the sound of a little voice. Lydia slid out of bed, put on her gown and padded across the carpeted floor. She opened the door a crack and saw the tiny figure of Daisy standing outside the door.

  "Can I come in, mama?"

  Lydia glanced back toward the bed. Zack hadn't woken.

  "Not tonight, Daisy," she whispered quietly. "Let mama come across to your room."

  Lydia stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her. She took Daisy's cool hand and led her back to the girls' bedroom. She pushed the door open and saw that Kate and Gretchen were still asleep. Lydia motioned Daisy to get into her own small bed. Once the little girl was lying down, Lydia settled down next to her, trying to make sure that she didn't fall out of the small bed. She figured she'd just about be able to stay on it, at least until Daisy fell asleep.

  Lydia stroked Daisy's soft hair. The little girl's breathing started to soften after a while and Lydia could tell that sleep had overtaken her sweet daughter.

  Lydia couldn't even think of anything bad happening to her girls. And by the way that Zack had taken to them all, she figured the thought of the girls suffering in any way was as unthinkable to him as it was to her.

  With that consoling thought Lydia pulled herself closer to her daughter and let sleep finally reclaim her.

  ***

  Lydia woke just as the sun was coming in through the bedroom window. She heard the beautiful sound of the birds announcing the start of a new day.

  A new life.

  She looked around and saw that all three girls were still fast asleep. Sliding gently off the bed, she made her way back to her own bedroom. Lydia opened the door and stepped inside to find that the double bed was empty.

  She felt a curious mixture of surprise and relief. Surprise that he wasn't there at all. Relief that there would be no awkward conversation as he woke up.

  But, where was Zack?

  Lydia felt a twist of anxiety in her middle. He must have awakened and found the bed empty. What would he have thought about that? Would he have assumed that she had left the bed to somehow get away from him? Would he have interpreted it as an act of rejection? She hoped not. But, there was no avoiding the truth that Zack had awoken, expecting to find his new wife by his side, only to discover that she'd apparently slipped quietly away in the middle of the night.

  Lydia sighed and went to the window. The sun was coming up. She gazed across the beautiful landscape, the green hills that rolled away into the distance. Cold looking mist settled in the hollows. Far off she could see the dark mass of a forest. The distant mountain peaks shone brilliant and white in the early light.

  What an amazing sight, she thought. Such a contrast to how she had awoken after her wedding night with Daniel. She blushed slightly at the memory of that. But the view from the window on that morning had been of city streets and wandering townsfolk. This was so different, something that filled her heart with a feeling of unexpected joy.

  Lydia got dressed and made her way downstairs. There was no sign of Zack. But Mrs. Brodie was in the kitchen already, preparing breakfast.

  "Good morning, Mrs. Buchanan," Mrs. Brodie exclaimed. "And a beautiful one it is too. Even if it's a bit cold."

  Lydia paused before answering the housekeeper. There was a part of her that liked the sound of what the woman had just said.

  Mrs. Buchanan.

  Lydia glanced out the kitchen window. "Has Zack gone out?" she asked.

  "He's checking the horses," Mrs. Brodie explained. "He'll be back soon. How did the children sleep last night?"

  Lydia shifted a loose hair away from the side of her face. "Daisy was a little upset. She has bad dreams from time to time."

  "The poor little dear," Mrs. Brodie said. "Dreams can be a terrible thing for such a young one."

  "I went to her in the middle of the night. As I usually do," Lydia said.

  "There's nothing like a mother to take away a bad dream," Mrs. Brodie said with a smile.

  "Can I help you with the breakfast?"

  "If you like. I'm not one to stand in the way of a lady taking charge of her new house," Mrs. Brodie said.

  "I don't know about that, Mrs. Brodie. It seems like you already do quite a good job looking after the place," Lydia said.

  "I do my best," Mrs Brodie picked up a wooden spoon. "I suppose ranch life is going to be a whole new experience for you."

  Lydia nodded and glanced around the kitchen. "It's going to be very different from what I was used to."

  Mrs. Brodie shook her head. "I don't know how people can live in a place like San Francisco. All that dirt. So many people. No space to breath."

  Lydia sat down at the table. "It's not much of a place to bring up children, I have to admit. Now that we're all here, it's going to take a bit of time to get used to the new way of life."

  "The children will be fine," Mrs. Brodie said starting to stir a large pot which smelled like it was full of oatmeal coming up to the boil. "Once they start to explore the ranch they'll soon forget all about the city."

  Lydia shook her head. "I don't think they'll ever forget their time there. They had friends. They were starting school."

  "Speaking of which, what are your plans for getting some schooling for them?" Mrs. Brodie asked.

  Lydia sighed. "I can do a little home schooling with them. I don't want them to fall behind. My father always told me how important reading and learning was. So, I've started early with them all. But there's only so much I can do myself."

  Mrs. Brodie thrust the wooden spoon deeper into the thickening mass in the pot. "There's a good school in Great Falls. Once the winter has settled down, they can start going there regular."

  Lydia nodded. "That's good to know."

  She heard the sound of the front door opening and felt a blast of cold air. The door closed and she heard heavy footsteps. Zack came into the kitchen dressed in a thick woollen jacket. His face was reddened with having been out in the cold. He drew off his gloves and began to blow heat back into his fingers.

  "It's darned cold out there. But it sure is a beautiful morning." He glanced at Lydia and smiled. "And it just got a whole lot more beautiful," he said with a grin. He came over to Lydia and leaned down. She raised her head up to greet him, feeling the chill that clung to his body.

  "Good morning," she said tentatively. There was no hesitation in his demeanour as he glanced quickly toward Mrs. Brodie, saw that his housekeeper was busy with her back to him, and leaned down quickly to kiss Lydia gently on the forehead with moist cool lips.

  Lydia smiled at him as he leaned away from her.

  Zack slid off his jacket and hung it on the hook next to the door. He sat down at the kitchen table and smiled over at Lydia. "How are you this morning?" he asked his eyes bright and filled with genuine interest.

  "I'm fine. Did you go out early?"

  Lydia saw the knowing look in his eyes. He knew she was referring to the fact that he'd woken up to find her gone from his side.

  "The horses needed tending to. There's lots to do today."

  Lydia's eyes widened. "You're going to work today?"

  Zack shook his head. "Not necessarily. The ranch hands know what needs to be done. The only thi
ng is, the weather looks like it's going to turn. Maybe there's snow coming."

  "How can you tell?" Lydia asked.

  Mrs. Brodie turned and smiled at Lydia. "Once you've been here long enough you get so that you can feel it in the air. Smell it, even?"

  "Smell snow?" Lydia asked with an incredulous look.

  Zack looked at Lydia. "Not exactly. But you get a feel for the land. The changes in the air. You'll get what I mean after a few years," he said bluntly.

  Lydia felt something shift inside her at the mention of the passing of years. It was true. She and the children were facing many years out here in the wilderness of this awe inspiring land. It was easy for someone like Zack. He was used to it. But how would it affect the children to be isolated, removed so suddenly from their former life?

  Lydia rose and went to help Mrs. Brodie finish preparations for breakfast. The whole time she was moving from task to task, cutting bread, laying out plates, spooning out helpings, Lydia was aware that Zack was watching her every move. She glanced at him from time to time, smiling defensively. His attention on her wasn't in the least unwelcome. In fact, to her surprise, she realized that she kind of enjoyed being the object of those attentions.

  Mrs. Brodie put the last plate down on the table. "There. That should do us all," she said with a satisfied grin.

  Zack breathed in deeply, inhaling the odors of the food. "That sure smells good, Mrs. Brodie," he said.

  "Of course it does," she answered. "Now. Where are those children of yours?"

  Lydia looked at Zack. He hadn't missed the meaning in the housekeeper's words. The children were theirs. They were all a family. And this was going to be their first breakfast together as a family.

  "Let me go get them," Lydia said.

  Mrs. Brodie waved an emphatic hand. "Nonsense. You just sit down there. Help yourself to some coffee with your husband. I'll go up and wake those little ones."

  Lydia saw Zack roll his eyes. "Just be gentle with them. Not everyone likes to be woken up so early."

  "Early? You call this early? Maybe in the city. But not here."

  Mrs. Brodie took off her apron, hung it over a chair and strode out of the kitchen.

  Lydia looked across the table at Zack as she listened to the sound of the housekeeper's footsteps making their way up the stairs. Once they had faded into the distance there was a pause, the sound of a door opening and she heard Mrs. Brodie's voice. The words were inaudible, but the tone brought a smile to Lydia's face, as she imagined the shocked looks of the children when faced with such a formidable and unexpected wake up call.

  Lydia saw Zack smile. His eyes were fixed on Lydia. It looked like he was simply enjoying watching the expression on her face.

  There were sudden cries of protest from three unanimous young voices.

  "There's only going to be one winner up there," Zack said.

  Lydia nodded. "She's amazing."

  "She's made things just about manageable around here. I don't know what I would have done without her these past few years."

  "Every ranch needs a housekeeper."

  Zack looked at Lydia. "I guess there's an extra person now to help around the house," he said.

  Lydia's brows rose. "Make that four new helpers. I like to make sure the girls don't sit around all day doing nothing."

  Zack frowned slightly. "The girls are only young. I know what you mean. Sure, they need discipline. But they also need time and space to get used to their new life here."

  Lydia stood up. "Would you like some coffee?"

  Zack looked surprised by her sudden question. "Sure. You know how I like it," he stated.

  She lifted the coffee pot and gave him a look that told him she did know that at least.

  "There's only black," she said.

  "There you go then," he said with a smile. "You remembered."

  She poured the two cups and sat back down again.

  "Zack. About last night. I need to explain," she started to say, but she paused when she saw him raise a hand.

  "You don't have to explain anything, Lydia. I understand."

  "It's not what you think," she said. "When you woke up and I wasn't there..."

  "I know you had to go to the girls. Daisy has bad dreams. I figured when I saw you weren't by my side, that you'd gone to help Daisy."

  "It's just that I didn't want you to get the wrong idea. Especially on a night like that. Our wedding night." she said her voice suddenly filled with barely contained emotion.

  Zack reached a hand across the table and laid it gently across Lydia's. When he spoke it was with a soft voice. His eyes were fixed intently on Lydia's. She felt a warmth rise up inside her as she gazed across the table at Zack.

  "The only thing that mattered to me about last night is that I was with you," he said quietly.

  Lydia's lips opened slowly and she peered across at him. She felt the sincerity in his voice. She could see it in his eyes.

  The moment was interrupted by a series of excited screams. The children were getting ready, and they'd be down any moment now.

  Zack continued to hold her hand and look at her, a soft smile on his features, a reassuring gaze in his eyes.

  Lydia could tell that Zack meant what he'd said. She knew he was trying to move closer to her, draw him near to her on this, their first real day together as a married couple. Deep down, there was a part of her that liked what he had said, a part of her that felt comforted by his presence, his soft, kind words. Since the passing of Daniel she'd had precious few moments when anyone had spoken to her in a kindly and generous manner. It felt good to listen to his voice and savor a brief moment of closeness, even so early in the morning.

  But, as comforting as those words had been, Lydia knew that the thought of spending the day like this, with this intensity of feeling, this strength of sensation, filled her with a barely contained unease.

  And, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.

  Zack was being the model of kindness and sensitivity. Who was she to reject his advances? What kind of person was she that she could even consider taking this honorable and unselfish man's words and throwing them back in his face?

  She heard the tumble of little footsteps in the hallway above. Lydia drew her hand away from Zack's gentle grasp. She saw his brows rise in surprise.

  "The children," she said simply.

  Zack's eyes flashed toward the kitchen door. "I was thinking. Today being the first day of our married life, and all. We could spend some time together? Maybe leave the children with Mrs. Brodie?" he suggested with tentative words.

  Lydia pursed her lips and glanced down at her coffee. She could hear Mrs. Brodie admonish them for running and asking them to stop at the top of the stairs.

  "I don't know, Zack."

  He leaned across toward her, his eyes suddenly imploring. "It's our first day, Lydia. I could take you out. Show you the ranch. Maybe we could find someplace nice to spend some quiet time together," he said. Lydia saw the excitement on his face. Felt the need he was struggling so hard to contain.

  "It sounds lovely. But, I promised the children I'd spend some time with them," she explained.

  "On our first day together?" Zack asked his eyes widening with surprise.

  "Please, understand, Zack. I need the children to understand that from now on life has to have some order, some rules. That was what they were used to before. I don't want them to get the wrong idea," she said.

  Zack's eyes flashed. "How could their mother and father spending their first day as a married couple together give the children the wrong idea? What kinds of ideas do you think they'll be getting, Lydia?"

  Lydia felt a twist of unease tumble around inside her. "That's not what I meant, Zack," she said firmly.

  Lydia glanced toward the kitchen door as she heard the children start to make their way down the stairs.

  "Perhaps we can have some time later," she started to say. "Let me spend some time with the children first. And then..."
>
  "Then what, Lydia. You'll try and fit me in?"

  The children were almost at the bottom of the stairs. Any moment now they'd be rushing into the kitchen to join their parents for a first family breakfast. And Lydia and Zack were on the verge of an argument. On their first day of marriage, they were having an argument?

  What had she done? She'd managed to transform Zack from patience personified into a man who suddenly felt slighted and pushed away.

  Lydia saw Zack turn and watch the children reach the final step. She heard Mrs. Brodie cry out from half way up the staircase. "Wait for me. My oh my. You're too fast on your feet, all three of you," Lydia heard her say.

  Lydia glanced at Zack and saw a determined expression on his face.

  When he spoke at last, she felt the knot of anxiety twist even tighter, and she knew that she had just about ruined any chance that their first day would be a happy one.

  "I'll be out on the range, today. As I said earlier. There's a lot of work to be done."

  Zack's feature tightened into a neutral mask. Lydia tried to say something but Zack stopped her with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. The anxiety started to churn even harder inside her.

  Then the children came running in, followed by Mrs. Brodie. They came up to Lydia one by one. She kissed each of them and they did as she instructed when she told them to go to their father and wish him a good morning.

  Lydia saw Zack smile as each of the girls went to him. He hugged them one by one and then they went to their seats at the table.

  Once they were all settled at the table Lydia looked around at the scene of their new family, their new life, their new start.

  So, how was it that she had turned what should have been a truly happy moment into one that, right now, filled her with confusion and worry, all at the same time.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The breakfast had been wonderful, Zack thought later, as he steered the horse across the mist covered grassland on his way to find the herd. Truly a beautiful, warm, happy experience.

  His first breakfast with his new family.

  The mere thought of that made him shake his head in disbelief.