A Secretive Mail Order Widow For The Humorous Rancher (The Love of Low Valley Series)

by Elliee Atkinson

  He dug into the chicken and rice dinner with the fervor of a starving man. She was a very good cook. It was all delicious and he told her so. He was glad to see her smiling across the table from him, chewing on her own chicken dinner, giggling when he joked with her, nodding when he spoke, answering his inquiries. She was a wonderful dinner companion, in a group or one on one.

  His heart sank when he realized it was time to leave and she hadn’t said a word to him about the pregnancy. He told himself she must not have anything to tell him. She would know more when she got back from the doctor. That was when she would tell him the truth.

  He made sure to give her a warm hug and a peck on the lips before departing that night. The bunk house would be cold compared to the welcoming, loving atmosphere of the little cottage with the woman he loved in it. He didn’t want to leave. He had to.

  As he went back to the bunkhouse, he told himself she would be more forthcoming when she got back from the doctor’s tomorrow. She would tell him then.

  CHAPTER 23

  Bee Shows Who She Is

  Ben sat on his cot, leaning over to remove his boots. There was a low murmur running through the room as the other ranch hands settled in for the night. He wasn’t listening to what they were saying. He had too much on his mind.

  Nan hadn’t said anything about the pregnancy, but he was confident he knew why. She wasn’t sure herself. She would find out at the doctor’s office.

  He wondered what she would tell him if it came back that she was with child. That meant she had already been intimate with a man and was not what she claimed herself to be in her letters.

  Though when he thought back, he didn’t remember ever asking her a question like that and she hadn’t volunteered that kind of information. She was a lady. Or so she claimed. That was something that was already assumed about a lady.

  No matter what the reason was, Ben was sure it was reasonable. He couldn’t bring himself to believe the woman he had come to know and was falling in love with could possibly be deceitful. It would take a scandalous person to manipulate a situation that way.

  He hoped she didn’t come back from the doctor tomorrow rushing to get married to him. If she pushed for the date of their wedding to be as soon as possible, he would know she wasn’t the truthful woman he wanted to live with the rest of his life. To him, that would mean she wanted their wedding night to come so when she started showing, she could say it was his.

  If she told him the truth, it would prove her to be the wonderful woman he wanted her to be and hoped she was.

  He sat on the edge of his bed for a moment, holding his head in his hands. He barely heard the faint knock on the door. One of the other men got up and crossed the room to get it. He stuck his head out and pulled it back in.

  “Ben. Got a visitor.”

  Before Ben could say anything, Bee pushed her way past Lou and marched toward him. She had a self-satisfied look on her face. Ben narrowed his eyes. “Bee? What are you doing here?”

  “Put your boots on, Ben. We need to take a walk.”

  All the blood in his body shot down to Ben’s feet. His nerves were immediately tingling with anger. He clenched one fist, noticing the dead silence from the room behind him. He knew every eye had to be on them. Even Lou had stopped walking and was giving Bee a look of utter shock.

  Ben stood up, holding his clenched fists at his sides. He tilted his head and gave her a direct look. “Pardon me?”

  “I said, I need to talk to you. Put your boots on so we can take a walk.”

  Ben knew the moment he made a motion toward the woman, Lou would be the first person to step in the way. The rest of the men would be right behind him within moments, holding him back. He struggled with his temper, taking a few moments to gather himself.

  He shook his head, laughing softly at the struggle he was having. “Woman, I don’t take orders from you. I’m not going anywhere with you. Get out of here before I throw you out by your apron strings.”

  Bee looked shocked, her hands flying up to cover her mouth, her eyes widening. “Ben! I think it’s really important and you don’t want to talk in front of everyone.” She moved her eyes dramatically around the room, taking in his coworkers. He felt his anger returning, compounding his frustration.

  “Bee…”

  “It’s about that girl you brought here.”

  The words caught Ben off guard. Bee shouldn’t be dwelling on his decision to bring Nan to Low Valley. He frowned.

  “You don’t have anything to say about Nan,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

  “I know you don’t, but you should. I need to tell you what she told me today.”

  Ben’s stomach turned over, making him feel sick. He groaned internally and stomped toward her. She shrank back from him. He took her by the arm and led her back through the entrance, stepping out on the porch in his socks. He closed the door behind him.

  “All right, Bee, what do you have to tell me?”

  “I saw her today. I mean, I was at her house because…”

  “You went to her house?” Ben said, outraged by the girl’s gall.

  “Yes, the cottage because…”

  “You don’t ever have the need to go to that cottage, Bee,” Ben growled, keeping his voice low so the men inside wouldn’t hear. Bee didn’t help, using a high-pitched pleading voice that could probably be heard in the basement of the south end of the main house.

  “I didn’t go there on purpose, Ben!” Bee said in a near shriek. “Carrie asked me to go out there and so I did. And she was so mean to me, Ben. You would have been upset with her.”

  Confusion filled Ben. He drew his eyebrows together, staring at the woman. Had she lost her mind? Realization crept over him like a blanket of spiders. Tingles covered his arms.

  “Bee,” he said. “You and I are not a couple. We never were a couple. We never will be. I’m going to marry Nan. That’s why I brought her here. We are going to marry.”

  Bee said nothing at first. She stared at his chest. After only a few moments, she turned to him and lifted both hands to adjust his shirt and collar. She patted his vest with both hands, shaking her head. “Don’t be silly, Ben. I know it’s supposed to be you and me against the world, but you can’t just bring someone else into it like that.”

  Ben was overcome with shock. He stared down at her, sure she had lost her mind completely. “Bee, I never said we were together. I don’t… I don’t know what you’re thinking but… you need to just stay away from Nan. Just stay away from her. Can you do that for me?”

  “Ben, I can’t stay away from her if you’re going to be around her. I have to protect you. Don’t you see?”

  Ben blinked, taking a step away from Bee, letting her arm go. “Bee, you need to get back to the main house and stay there. You don’t go anywhere near Nan. Do you understand? I don’t want to hear of you bothering her again.”

  Bee closed the space he’d created by hurrying toward him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She pressed her cheek against his chest and held on tight. Ben pulled his arms back, unwilling to hug her back. He tried to pry her off him.

  “Bee… get off me… what are you doing…”

  She pulled back enough to look up at him, an eerie smile on her face. “Ben. I’ve been waiting for you to be this close to me, so I could tell you the truth about how I feel.”

  Ben shook his head, feeling sick to his stomach.

  “I don’t want to hear about it,” he said, shaking his head. “Please, Bee, you need to go back to the main house. You need to talk to Carrie. She’ll know what to do.”

  “I can’t talk to Miss Carrie,” Bee said. “I have to convince them that I love you and you love me, and that’s really hard when they’re all conspiring against us. They don’t understand how much we need to be together.”

  “Bee…” Ben didn’t know how to make it clearer. “We aren’t together. Look at me. Look at me.” He pulled away and bent o
ver enough to make her look him directly in the eye. “We aren’t together. I am not courting you. I am going to marry Nan.”

  Bee just blinked at him, smiling.

  He blinked back, shaking his head. “Bee, go to the main house and get Carrie. Tell her I need to see her first thing in the morning. Can you do that for me?” He hoped giving her an errand would get her away from the bunkhouse.

  “Don’t you want to spend some time together?”

  “Not tonight, I’m busy. Stay at the main house. But tell Carrie I’m going to come see her first thing. Can you do that?”

  Bee nodded. “Good night, Ben.” Her voice was as love struck as her eyes.

  “Good night.”

  He went inside and slammed the door before she’d turned away, hoping she wouldn’t say I love you. That was the last thing he wanted to hear from her.

  CHAPTER 24

  Nan Goes To Town

  Carrie was quiet as the two women rode into Low Valley to the clinic. Nan wondered what she was thinking. She was so nervous, she couldn’t think straight and, therefore, couldn’t hold a good conversation even if she wanted to.

  Which she did. Very much. She wanted to be distracted. She’d woken up ill again that morning and after an hour or so, the feeling subsided. She wasn’t able to eat a good breakfast, but the crackers and milk she had would suffice. She could stand to lose a few pounds, if she wasn’t pregnant.

  Thinking about it made her tense with anxiety.

  Carrie pulled in a quick breath, as if she was going to say something but then didn’t. Nan looked at her and caught when her friend glanced at her.

  “You were going to say something?” Nan asked, inquisitively. She wanted conversation to distract her.

  “Well…” Carrie started, but left the word hanging in the air.

  “What are you thinking?” Nan knew her voice had to sound fearful. She didn’t want Carrie to think bad of her. She’d told her the circumstances of Johnny’s death.

  “I was just thinking about how hard it will be if your child looks like your deceased husband. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, mind you,” Carrie hurried to add. “I’m sure your husband was very handsome. But it would be difficult to see his face so often, knowing he cannot return to you.”

  Nan appreciated how solemn Carrie was without being patronizing. She nodded. “Yes, if it comes about that I am pregnant, I do not know how I will feel. I am still hoping I’m not. But then again, I do want this precious part of my Johnny. Oh, I just don’t know.” She shook her head in confusion. Being pregnant could possibly destroy her future plans with Ben. However, it was a blessing anyway and she would fight to protect her child with every last breath of her body.

  If she was pregnant.

  “I know it has to be really confusing for you,” Carrie said, her sympathetic voice soft and kind. She glanced at Nan again. “I just want you to know that I’m here for you and… I really don’t think he will but… if Ben decides he doesn’t… want to continue with your plans together, you come and see me, all right?”

  Nan’s chest tightened with apprehension. “You’re not going to fire him, are you?”

  Carrie’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh heavens, no. He’s a valuable member of our crew. There are some things he does that none of the other men know how to do.”

  Nan blinked, her fear lingering in the back of her mind. “Then you will send me back to Georgia?”

  Carrie gave her another surprised look. “Nan. You aren’t a piece of property. If you want to stay in Low Valley, you are perfectly welcome to do so. I will make sure no one says anything bad about you because of your circumstances. It isn’t your fault your husband was killed. Frankly, I’m surprised there aren’t more widows out here in the west. We do a lot more shootin’ and killin’ out here, I think.”

  Nan shook her head. “Atlanta is a city where there are more people who don’t know each other than those who do. They kill, too, it’s just not as noticed.”

  “Oh dear, that sounds terrible.” Carrie drew her brows together, shaking her head.

  “It can be. But I did love the beauty of the place. Nothing like a land of green and blue. That was Georgia.”

  “Well, it sounds lovely to me. Here it’s all brown. Just brown with some green cacti dotting it.”

  Nan chuckled. “It’s got its beauty, too.”

  “That’s why I’m saying you don’t have to go back. I really think Ben will accept this and you won’t have to worry. But if he is, God forbid, a cad about it, you can stay in the cottage until you find a place to live in town or have the money to buy your own property. You will probably want to find work anyway, just to put a little extra in your pocket. So find a job and move on, I say. If Ben rejects you.”

  Nan nodded, feeling a little sick just hearing the words. “You don’t think he will, though?”

  Carrie shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think he will. I think he’s already fallen for you. You are his woman now.”

  Nan grunted. “Because he paid for me.”

  “No, no, don’t you think like that,” Carrie replied firmly. “He didn’t pay for you. He paid for a ticket so you could come here. He didn’t know you then, but he does now, and I think he’s already falling for you. Take my word for it. I can sense these things. I’m very intuitive.”

  If there was one thing Nan was learning in Low Valley, it was that they had at least one psychic resident. Carrie Mason Sharp was a woman dedicated to her friends and family. Nan felt blessed she was part of the family that was sponsoring her stay.

  “Thank you for saying that, Carrie. It makes me feel a little better.”

  “I guess you’re probably real worried about what Doc Campbell is gonna say, huh?”

  “I really am worried. I want to be, but I don’t want to be, and if I’m not that means I’m sick with something else.”

  Carrie nodded, a look of understanding on her face. She slapped the reins lightly to make the horses go a little faster. “We’re nearly there. You only have to be patient a little longer.”

  Nan felt like she almost didn’t even want to know if she was with child or not.

  “If you are sick, Nan, I want you to know we’ll help you pay for your medicines and doctor visits. I don’t mind. I know you’re just trying to start out fresh. You and Ben don’t need extra pressure on you like that.”

  Nan was overwhelmed with gratitude. She looked at Carrie with warm, teary eyes. “Oh, Carrie! Why are you doing such good things for me?”

  Carrie giggled. “You’re a nice girl, Nan. I like Ben and I’m glad he got you down here. I think you’ll make a fine couple!”

  “You do?” Nan’s gratitude mixed with the happiness filling her, making her skin tingle.

  “I really do! It’s so wonderful to see him smiling. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever really seen him smile, at least not like he does when he talks about you. It’s kind of amazing. When he was looking at you at dinner…” She let her words trail off, shaking her head with amusement. “I haven’t seen a look like that on a man’s face since my Tony used to flirt with me. Oh, Nan, he’s so bad at it!”

  Carrie rested one hand on Nan’s knee, laughing, her face turned up to the sun. The sound of her laughter brought an instant smile to Nan’s face.

  “Poor men. Sometimes they just don’t know what they’re doing.”

  Nan grinned back at her. “And it so cute, we can’t help but love them anyway.”

  “And not tell them how silly they look. That might bruise someone’s masculinity. I don’t want to do that.”

  “Oh no, that wouldn’t be proper.” Nan shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “I always thought Ben would make a good husband to someone. I don’t really know him that well, but Tony and Logan talk about the men sometimes and his name has come up. They always speak highly of him.”

  “It’s nice that he’s so well liked. I think it’s rather amazing that your family was willing to let me stay in the c
ottage for free like they are. I am so grateful.”

  “It’s really nothing,” Carrie said. “The cottage wasn’t being used. And you needed something. Ben said you would soon be out of your home.”

  Nan nodded, staring ahead of her at the mountain in the distance. “Yes, Johnny’s parents owned the house. They had given it to Johnny, but when he died, they took it back and told me I had one month to find somewhere else to live.”

  Carrie gasped in astonishment, looking at Nan through hurt eyes.

  Nan nodded. “Yes, that was my reaction, too.”

  CHAPTER 25

  Ben Gets It Off His Chest

  Ben leaned over the counter, stretching his arm to grab the peanuts from the bowl on the other side of Dean. The big Irishman leaned back abruptly and looked down at Ben.

  “I would gladly have pushed that over for you, Ben,” he grunted in an amused voice. He chuckled as Ben fumbled with the peanuts. He reached out and tapped the bowl with one large finger, making it move across the counter in front of him till it was directly in front of Ben.

  “There you go, little man,” Dean said, leaning forward again and smiling at Ben as he tipped his mug back and downed the beer in it.

  “Them’s fightin’ words, Irishman,” Ben said casually, popping a peanut from its shell and tossing it into his mouth. He grinned at Dean as he chewed.

  Dean let out a laugh. “Comin’ from another Irishman. I don’t think that hurt me much.”

  They both laughed. Jim, sitting on the other side of Dean, tilted his head to look at them both. “So you doin’ any preparing for the storm comin’ up?”