“I can move things around. Thank you so much for your help, Dean.”
When Nan lifted her hand purse, Ben reached out and placed one hand firmly over hers. “You are such a wonderful woman, Nan. Let’s explore the house. I want to show you the rooms upstairs.”
Nan blinked at him, slightly confused before a smile burst across her pretty face. “That sounds wonderful. She didn’t know why he’d stopped her from giving Dean a coin. She had filled her hand purse with them to give away. They were a collection of silver dollars Johnny had given her. She wanted as many people to have them as possible, especially this far away from Georgia. Not only was it something Johnny would approve of, it was also an excellent way to spite his vengeful parents.
The idea of going up to see the rooms and explore the rest of the cabin gave Nan a pleased thrill. She was even more delighted when Ben pulled on her hand and held on to it as they walked to the stairs.
The touch of his skin on hers, his fingers entwined with her, made a tingle run down her thighs. Her heart thumped in her chest. She’d felt the same way with Johnny.
She didn’t know what she did to deserve two great loves in her life, but it looked like her relationship with Ben was getting off on a good start. He was extremely good looking, with reddish blond hair, a thin mustache and happy green eyes.
Nan came out of her thoughts when she got to the top of the stairs and saw the layout. There was one large room to the right and one large room to the left. A narrow walkway from the stairs formed a square around the second floor and allowed access to the rooms.
“Oh my,” she breathed. “It doesn’t look this big from outside.”
“I know,” Ben nodded. She watched his handsome profile as he spoke. He wasn’t looking at her and the green in his eyes stood out to Nan. It was such a beautiful color. Ben was the perfect height as well. Tall, but not too much taller than her. He didn’t have to bend at the waist to put his arms around her. That is, he wouldn’t. Once he got around to doing that.
She hoped it would be soon. She longed for a warm hug from a man. A man she cared about. She could see herself falling in love with Ben. All she had to do was get rid of the guilt, the shame, the feeling that she was betraying Johnny by moving on so quickly.
It was those Simpsons. They had forced her hand. She’d had no choice. They didn’t need anything from her. If she’d been able to stay, they wouldn’t have needed the money for renting the house. They didn’t kick her out because they wanted money. They kicked her out because they thought she wanted too much. They’d accused her of marrying above her station and not being good enough for Johnny.
If she’d had loving, supportive parents-in-law, she wouldn’t have been in Nevada at that moment.
Nan had long ago stopped thinking about what-ifs. A lot of things would have been different if her parents had lived. However, they didn’t.
Nothing about the past could be changed. Johnny wouldn’t want her feeling bad about needing a happy life. He wouldn’t want her to be miserable all the time, especially not for the rest of her life.
She wished she could tell Ben everything. She had a feeling she eventually would anyway.
When she looked sideways at him, she thought it probably would be sooner than she thought. He was standing by the window, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his eyes out on the landscape.
“This really is quite lovely, Ben,” she said, wanting his attention back on her. “I must thank them.”
“You’ll get your chance,” Ben said, turning his head to gaze warmly at her. “We’re invited to dinner there tomorrow night. Tonight is for you to get used to the cabin and settle in some. I’ll be here as long as you want me to be, but I’ll have to go back to the bunkhouse eventually to get some sleep. I still have to work during the day.”
Nan didn’t have any clue what Ben did on a daily basis. She wondered how much time she’d be able to spend with him.
“It would be very interesting if you would let me help you on the land sometime,” she said nonchalantly. The idea had just occurred to her and gave her a thrill thinking about it. “I am strong, you know. I can do a lot of things you men do. Maybe not all, but some.”
“Of course. A woman has just as much right to own and run a business as men.”
Nan snorted softly. “Not by law,” she said, disdainfully.
“I know. Sorry about that. But we don’t need to break any laws to get you helpin’ around the ranch. I don’t see why you can’t come with me in the mornin’ to take care of the livestock duties. Gotta give them food and water. Gotta bale some hay. Do some sweepin’ in the stalls.”
Nan felt a little overwhelmed, looking around her at the cozy little cottage. “I hope I can get used to this kind of lifestyle,” she murmured under her breath. She looked over and could see he’d caught her words.
“You’ll be fine,” Ben said. “We don’t have to worry about mother's and father's day.”
Nan gasped and swiped at Ben’s arm with one hand. He laughed.
“I’m teasin’ you, Nan. If we can’t laugh and make jokes at our expense, we don’t deserve to have a sense of humor.”
“What a unique way to look at it,” Nan said, coming over to the window to stand beside him. Her heart thumped hard. She could feel warmth emanating from him. She wanted to touch him but held back for fear she would overstep. She didn’t want him to think badly of her.
“So you like the cottage?”
She grinned at him. “I haven’t even seen my room or the back yard, but I love it here.”
His smile was wide. “I’m glad. I do, too. And if the Masons let us rent it or buy it, that’s what we’ll do. How’s that sound?”
Nan felt a sense of delight run through her, lighting up her nerves. “I like it very much,” she said truthfully.
She would never tell him the house she’d just left had rooms the size of the cottage itself.
CHAPTER 12
Ben Introduces His Bride
It was dinnertime when Nan was finished settling in. Ben watched her put the last of her knick-knacks on the mantle above the fireplace. The cottage was already furnished, but Nan had decorations, photographs and little treasures to display.
“Would you like to go to Low Valley for dinner? Meet some of the people?” Ben hoped she wanted to go. He was ready to show off his beautiful bride-to-be.
He was happy to see her face light up with excitement. “That sounds good. Let’s go!”
He laughed at her urgency, holding out his hand to her. She grabbed it and they hurried to the door. Her excitement was contagious. Ben had never felt excited to go to Low Valley before. Tonight, he couldn’t wait.
He helped her into the buggy and went around to get in himself. He was giddy like a kid on Christmas morning. He’d received a wonderful gift. She was sitting right beside him.
As they pulled away from the cottage, Ben glanced at the main house. There were several people gathered on the front porch. He could see their shadows cast by the flickering lamps all around the porch.
“Are they having a party tonight?” Nan asked. He looked at her. Her eyes were on the porch, too.
Ben shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know the Mason schedule. I don’t think those are guests, though. I think they’re servants.”
“What are they doing outside?”
“The servants and ranch hands sometimes get together and chat on the porch. Mr. Mason doesn’t mind. He’s a good boss to work for.”
“Any boss that is willing to give out an entire house is a good boss to work for.”
Ben laughed. “Yeah, I think so. The majority of people in Low Valley are good, kind and generous people. We don’t have a lot of trouble here. If anyone does cause trouble, it’s usually because they aren’t from here. We’ve had a couple of bad seeds, though, I gotta say. Bruce Baxter was one of them. He was killed a few years back by his own men. Not a nice guy.”
Ben thought Nan’s shudder was too s
weet. He wanted to throw both arms around her and squeeze her tight. He refrained, gripping the reins a little harder.
“I’m glad I didn’t meet him,” she said softly.
“Yeah, you wouldn’t have liked him at all.”
They pulled into Low Valley a few minutes later, passing a few houses before coming up on the main district where all the businesses were.
“This is what we call the town square,” Ben said in a director’s voice. “We have the mercantile over here, supply shop, saddle repair, shoe smith, tailor, barber. Over there you have the beauty parlor for you women, the hotel, saloon, that’s the Broken Horseshoe. There’s another saloon on the other side of Low Valley called Five Guns. That’s a rough place. I don’t recommend you ever visit.”
“Lots of fights?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Every night, so I hear. So there’s the restaurant, that’s where we’ll go tonight. I’m hoping they’ve got some of their roast and potatoes. They make the finest you’ve ever had. I guarantee that.”
Nan gave him a peculiar look, but didn’t say anything.
“You do like roast and potatoes, don’t you?” he asked in a worried voice. If he came to find out she didn’t like meat, he might have to rethink the marriage.
She grinned. “I love roast and potatoes. It’s one of my favorite meals.”
“Oh, okay,” he nodded, feeling relieved. “You looked at me kind of strange there for a moment.”
She chuckled. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking how the last meal I had in Georgia was roast and potatoes. My dear friend Helen, made it for her family and invited me to dinner.”
“Oh,” he glanced at her with a grin. “I’m sure the roast here could never match up to your friend’s. But I do hope you like it.”
Ben was surprised by how nervous he was. He felt much younger than his age, as if he hadn’t lived long enough to know how to act in a relationship. He was self-conscious and shaky, constantly clearing his throat and trying to think of something to say.
He pulled the brake lever on the buggy and brought it to a halt in front of the restaurant. He glanced in the front window as he went around the buggy to help Nan to the ground. He spotted two of his friends immediately and was delighted that they would be the first to meet Nan.
He held his hand up to her and she stepped down to the ground.
“I’m excited for you to meet some friends I saw in the restaurant,” he said, pulling gently on her hand to hurry her into the restaurant. He couldn’t help being overly anxious. He hoped it wouldn’t push her or annoy her too much. Looking at her face, she looked more delighted than anything else. Her eyes took in everything around her with the wonder of a small child in a magical forest.
“I’m excited, too,” she responded with a giggle that melted Ben’s heart.
He guided her around the tables to the one near the window at the front of the store.
“Jenn, Kyle, I’d like you to meet Nan Simpson. She’s from Georgia. She’s come all this way to… join our little community.”
Jennifer grinned wide and held out her hand. Nan took it.
“It’s good to meet you!” Jennifer said, excitedly. She moved her eyes to Ben only briefly when she said, “We heard our Ben here was getting a visitor from out of state. I hope you like it here in Low Valley. I’m sure you’ll fit right in!”
“Thank you, Jennifer.”
Jennifer laughed softly. “You can call me Jenn like everyone else does. Kyle, can you say hi to the new lady? Her name is Nan.”
“I heard her name, Jenn,” Kyle said, tilting his head to the side and giving Jennifer a scornful look. She just smiled softly at him. He looked purposefully at Nan, making it obvious he was ignoring his companion from that point until he forgave her. “Hi. I’m Kyle. I like your hat. You are from Georgia? It must be nice there. I’ll never go to the East Coast. Pa says…”
“Your pa isn’t here anymore, Kyle,” Jennifer interrupted the young man. Ben looked at Nan to see how she was taking the conversation and if she understood about Kyle’s special needs. She wore a look of compassion, which satisfied him. “If you get a chance to go to Georgia, you’re gonna take it, you hear me? You’ll take it.”
Kyle’s face fell in a bit and he frowned. “But, Jenn, I’d have to leave home. I don’t want to leave home.”
Jennifer’s tone dropped and she spoke in a loving way. “That’s okay, Kyle. You don’t have to go anywhere. I promise. I was just teasing you. It was mean of me, I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”
Kyle tilted his head from one side to the other several times, contemplating Jennifer’s face. After a prolonged silence, he nodded curtly. “Yes, I’ll forgive you.”
“Thank you, Kyle.” Jennifer smiled at him before turning her eyes to Ben and Nan. She settled on Nan before saying, “We are having a dinner party tomorrow night. I hope you’ll come, both of you. Dean and Amanda will be there. Have you met Amanda yet?”
Nan shook her head. “I haven’t really seen a lot of Low Valley or met any of the residents yet. As a matter of fact, you are the first person I’ve spoken to here. Besides Ben, of course.”
Ben grinned. “And Dean.”
Nan scrunched up her face at him. “Yes, Dean, too.”
Jennifer laughed. “Well, you’ll love Amanda. She’s a lot like Dean but smaller. She’s a little version of him.”
Nan and Ben joined her in laughter. After a few moments, Kyle did, too, but Ben suspected he didn’t know what they were laughing at, though it was the simplest of jokes. Kyle knew who Dean was. He’d been working at the K&B ranch since before Kyle’s father was murdered. Now, he was doing double-duty at the Mason and Baxter ranches.
“Let’s take a tour after we eat,” Jennifer suggested. “I’ll show you all the prettiest places to sit and contemplate your life.”
“Don’t do too much of that,” Ben said in a warning voice, his eyes on Nan. “Unless you’re thinking about good things. Don’t let the negative make you feel bad or question what you know to be true.” What had started out as a little joke turned into something more serious quickly. He was right about what he was saying. The only way to think was positive. Negativity creates worry, stress and a lot of anger spent in the wrong places.
“You are very philosophical, Ben,” Nan said, gazing into his eyes. He got an excited chill when she added. “I like that in a man.”
CHAPTER 13
Storm on the Horizon
Nan felt very self-conscious, though she probably shouldn’t have. She was sitting in the parlor at the Mason ranch, surrounded by the wealthy family and several friends and servants. She was the outsider, to be sure, but none of them made any outright attempt to make her feel that way. As they spoke, they glanced at her to include her in their conversation. They asked her questions and told her jokes to make her laugh. Everyone was very friendly.However, that didn’t stop the anxious feeling she had, the tightness in her chest. She scanned the room from her place next to Ben on the couch. To her right was the daughter, Carrie, and her husband Tony, and the Mason sons Logan and Michael. Logan’s wife was apparently in the kitchen with the cook, insisting the meals be made a certain way. From what Nan heard, Kay was very friendly and wasn’t brash when she made her demands.
Cookie just let her do what she needed to do apparently.
Nan couldn’t get over the surprise she felt that the Mason family, as rich as they were, made friends with their ranch hands. She didn’t notice any particular distinction between Ben and any of the others. He wasn’t even the foreman. Yet the family included him in their meals and celebrations and loaned out the cottage to a stranger at his request.
She intended to ask Ben about it at a later time. It felt like he must somehow be related to them for them to treat him the way they did.
She liked them all. She could only hope everything would turn out good for her in the end. She wanted a peaceful, happy future with a loving husband and children. Then again, who didn’t wish for that
?
She glanced over at Tony, focusing on what he was saying. He was talking to Logan, one long arm stretched out over the back of the couch he sat on, behind his wife. Carrie was looking up at him as he spoke. Nan grinned softly. The look on the woman’s face as she looked up at her husband was so loving, it made Nan’s heart melt.
“It’s really not looking good, fellas,” Tony was saying. “I read that almanac from cover to cover, and I’m tellin’ you, the signs are leading up to a bad storm. We’ve got to prepare now.”
“All right, Noah,” Logan smirked, turning his head to smile at Kay when she came in through the kitchen door.
Tony scoffed, tossing one hand in the air. “You can make fun of me all you want, Logan. I ain’t sayin’ it’s gonna be like the flood in the Bible. I’m just sayin’ it’s gonna be bad and we need to prepare. You ought to trust me by now.”
“Logan doesn’t trust lowly ranch hands,” Michael said in an obviously teasing voice, his wide grin turned to his big brother. “He don’t listen to ‘em or work with ‘em or nothin’. Why don’t you ever make friends with anyone, brother?”
Nan was slightly confused, watching Logan, who was sitting close to his brother, reached out and punched the younger man lightly on the arm. Michael jumped away, laughing, covering his arm with his other hand.
“Ow!”
“Settle down, boys!” Carrie barked, her voice light-hearted. “Can’t you see my husband is trying to make a point here? Think about it. How many times in the past when I’ve said a storm was coming was I right? Well, I’ve been having those feelings again and…”
Logan was shaking his head, which made Carrie stop talking and gasp with frustration. She lifted both hands and dropped them abruptly to her lap.
“What are you shaking your head about?” she asked, her tone becoming more serious. “We’re really trying to warn you about something dangerous and you just sit there and scoff? You’ll find out. You obviously don’t remember how my feelings have come true about the weather before. And with Tony reading about it…”
A Secretive Mail Order Widow For The Humorous Rancher (The Love of Low Valley Series) Page 6