Big Sky Cowboy (Montana Marriages #1)

by Linda Ford

  “And why not pin that lovely brooch Ma gave you to the neck?” Lilly added.

  “Why in heaven’s name would I do that?” Yet she already pictured how those two additions would make the outfit more grown-up.

  “To look nice,” Lilly said.

  Rose nodded. “After all, you know Mary Ann and Nancy and half the young women in Bar Crossing will be flocking to Wyatt likes bees around Ma’s flowers.”

  “And why would I care about that?” Cora couldn’t decide if she should be cross or amused.

  “I like Wyatt,” Rose said. “I wish he would stay here.”

  Cora gave Rose a look of disbelief. “You are begging for pain and sorrow if you grow too fond of him. That man has deep, dark secrets. Who knows how they might threaten our family?” She hadn’t meant to blurt out her own concerns. She pressed her point with another shake of her head, then turned to Lilly. “You two need to learn you can’t count on any man hanging around.”

  The two backed away and stood shoulder to shoulder, denial and stubbornness drawing their mouths into tight lines and narrowing their eyes.

  Lilly sniffed. “You always think every man will leave you just because our real pa did.”

  Rose nodded. “And Evan.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.” Cora slipped the blue-and-white dress over her head. “But it isn’t me who needs reminding. It’s you two.”

  Rose and Lilly silently consulted each other. Lilly shook her head but Rose turned away. “Cora,” she said. “Why won’t you tell us anything about our parents?”

  “What’s to tell? I was five years old. About all I can remember is staring after a wagon and waiting for it to come back. I know our father was on that wagon, but that’s about all I remember.” All she cared to remember. “He didn’t care for us then. We don’t need him now.” The girls looked teary eyed so she added, “Then Lilly started to fuss, and all I thought of was how to take care of you two.” She smiled at them.

  “It’s still all you care about,” Rose pointed out. “But we’re grown up now. Besides, you must remember something.”

  Lilly tapped Rose’s arm. “Let it be. You know she’s not going to tell you anything, and maybe she’s right. Maybe we’re better off not knowing.”

  “There you go.” Cora arranged her hair in a floppy roll around her head. How did Anna make it look so easy? “Rose, listen to your sister.”

  The girls turned back to preparing for church, but Cora felt their restlessness. Rose wanting to know who their parents were and why their father had left three little girls behind. Lilly wanting to avoid information for fear it would hurt.

  Cora took the suggested brooch and pinned it at her throat. The silver of the oblong embossed brooch looked quite fine. She glanced at the shawl wrapped in tissue on the shelf of the wardrobe and dismissed the idea of wearing it.

  Rose noticed her hesitation and picked up the shawl. She draped it over Cora’s shoulders. It was as light as morning dew and lacy as the first frost of winter.

  “You look great,” Lilly said. “Wait a minute.” She retrieved her best straw bonnet from the top shelf. “This will be perfect.”

  “I couldn’t,” Cora protested. “It’s your favorite.”

  “Nonsense. What are sisters for if they can’t share?” Ignoring Cora’s objection, she tied it on Cora’s head then turned her to the looking glass.

  Cora stared at her image.

  “You look very nice,” Rose said. “I’m sure Wyatt will think so, too.”

  “I’m not wearing this so Wyatt will notice.” She reached for the strings of the bonnet, intending to remove the hat, but her sisters pushed her to the door before she could accomplish it.

  “This isn’t about Wyatt,” she murmured as they left the room.

  “Uh-huh.” The girls might make agreeing sounds, but they obviously didn’t mean it.

  She wanted to argue but they reached the kitchen and she wouldn’t say anything in front of Ma.

  Ma waited, wearing her usual dark blue dress and matching bonnet. Cora tried to recall if she’d ever seen Ma wear anything else for church.

  “Pa is ready,” Ma said, pulling on black gloves. “It’s time to go.”

  Pa waited at the side of the wagon to help Ma up.

  Wyatt stood at the back, Lonnie behind him.

  Cora stared at him. He cleaned up nice. He wore black trousers, a black-and-white striped shirt with a black string tie at the collar and a brown leather vest.

  “Oh, my!” Lilly whispered.

  “Good thing you fancied up a bit,” Rose murmured near Cora’s ear.

  Cora ignored them both and waited as Wyatt assisted her sisters into the back of the wagon, where Pa had spread an old quilt for them to sit on. Then Wyatt reached for her hand. Even with gloves on, she felt the warmth of his touch. He’d slicked his hair back with something lemon scented that had the power to turn her brain to mush.

  She climbed into the wagon box and sat beside Rose, spreading her skirts to keep them smooth.

  Wyatt waited for Lonnie to climb up, then jumped in and pulled the tailgate closed to keep out dust. He settled between Lonnie and Lilly, facing Cora, his black-clad legs stretched out. He’d polished his boots until they gleamed.

  How was she to ignore him as they rattled toward town? Three miles of torture. She shifted her attention to the scenery and kept her attention on the view.

  Rose patted her arm. “Cora, tell us about the time you rescued Evan from the mad cow.”

  Cora sent her sister a look rank with protest. It wasn’t the kind of story she cared to share with Wyatt.

  “Oh, yes, do,” Lilly echoed.

  Wyatt looked interested. “Who is Evan?”

  Cora signaled her sisters to be quiet but they ignored her.

  “Evan Price was her beau.” The twins rattled off the information like well-oiled gears working together. “He left to go looking for gold.”

  “He wasn’t the man for our sister.”

  Cora closed her eyes and hoped the twins wouldn’t say any more about her and Evan. She felt foolish enough that she’d trusted the man. She surely didn’t intend to repeat her mistake. Her resolve allowed her to face Wyatt and his teasing grin.

  Rose continued with the story. “I think it began when Evan thought he would hurry Cora along so they could go to the church social.” She turned to Cora. “Isn’t that right?”

  Cora barely nodded. They knew the story as well as she.

  “One of the cows had just freshened—”

  “Bossy,” Cora said. She turned to Wyatt. “Bossy can be very cranky.”

  “How cranky?” His eyes sparkled.

  He was enjoying this far too much. “Let’s just say she doesn’t care for strangers around her newborns.”

  Rose said, “We tried to warn Evan, but he said he knew how to handle animals.”

  “Of course, we didn’t see what happened to start with,” Lilly added. “But when we heard Cora yell, we rushed out. There was Evan, perched on top of the fence, waving his feet wildly.” She turned to Cora. “What did he do?”

  Cora rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you before.”

  “I know but we weren’t there.”

  A chuckle rolled up Cora’s throat. It pleasured her a little to picture Evan up on the fence, begging her to rescue him. “He walked up to where I was milking Maude. Bossy’s calf was nursing. He didn’t even look at her. I doubt he saw her. He saw me and got all huffy because I wasn’t ready to go. I didn’t listen to his fussing because I saw Bossy jerk her head up at the sound of a stranger. The calf had skittered away. I knew he was in danger and tried to warn him. ‘Evan,’ I said. ‘You best be getting behind that fence.’ Of course, he thought I meant he should wait out of my way and started to argue. Bossy caught
him in the rear end with a head butt. Did he ever get over the fence in a hurry then! I had to push Bossy away from him and persuade her he wouldn’t hurt her baby.”

  Rose and Lilly laughed. “It was quite a thing to see.”

  Cora snorted. “In hindsight, if I’d known he meant to go looking for gold I might have left him there to fight his own battle.”

  Wyatt grinned, though she detected a glint of something else in his eyes. Perhaps he felt he had been warned. She regarded him steadily to let him know she didn’t take kindly to people hurting her. Or worse, one of her family.

  They arrived at the church and Pa stopped the wagon.

  She allowed Wyatt to help her down because it would be foolish not to. As Ma said, pride goeth before a fall and she didn’t care to provide proof.

  As they walked toward the church, they saw Mary Ann and a cluster of young women huddled together, watching and chattering.

  Cora sighed. Mary Ann had no doubt told all her friends about the cowboy staying at the Bells’. Mothers of eligible young ladies also studied the visitor.

  Lilly chuckled. “Seems we’re attracting a lot of attention today.”

  Rose snorted. “I don’t think it’s us.” She gave Wyatt a pointed look.

  “Me?” he said. He’d left his hat in the wagon and ran his hand over his hair. “Is my hair sticking up? Do I look funny?” He glanced down at his outfit. “Don’t my clothes fit properly? The man that sold them to me said they did, but perhaps he only meant to make a sale.”

  The three girls stared at him.

  “Are you serious?” Cora asked. Surely he understood they looked because his hair looked fine, his clothes fit fine and he looked good enough to eat.

  “What?” How did he manage to look so confused?

  Cora couldn’t believe he was serious. “Wyatt, you’re joshing, aren’t you? They are looking because they like what they see.”

  He stared at her, then a slow grin curled his lips and lit his eyes. “They’re admiring how fine I look?”

  “Yes.” She’d as much told him she thought he looked rather nice. Heat stung her cheeks and she knew she surely glowed like a ripe apple.

  “The mothers are plotting how to get you to marry their daughters, and the young ladies are wondering if you’ll accept an invitation to dinner.”

  Amusement fled and his jaw muscles tightened. “The answer is no.”

  She wasn’t pleased at his instant refusal. It wasn’t as if she’d grown fond of him.

  Seeing as it was Sunday and they were about to enter the church, she had to be honest with herself. Maybe she’d grown just a little fond of him.

  They trailed into church and sat in their regular pew. Somehow Cora ended up between Rose and Wyatt. How had her sisters managed that?

  Mary Ann followed them down the aisle and paused to speak. “So nice to see you again, Mr. Williams.”

  “Nice to see you, too.” He introduced Lonnie.

  Mary Ann barely gave poor Lonnie a look as she practically swooned at Wyatt’s feet. The half-dozen girls with her sighed. When had her friends ever been so blatantly foolish?

  Mary Ann fluttered her eyelashes. “Will you be visiting long, Wyatt?”

  “Not long.”

  “Maybe we can plan a social while you’re here.”

  Cora barely constrained a groan.

  “I wouldn’t think I’ll be here that long.”

  Thankfully the bevy of girls moved on and settled into pews. Several of them turned and smiled in Wyatt’s direction.

  But he had opened the hymnal and was turning the pages.

  Cora breathed slowly. In and out. In and out. Church was not the place to let petty emotions rage through her. She glanced around the congregation, seeing familiar faces in familiar places. She frowned at Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell sitting front and center. At least they had the dignity not to look back at the Bells. And later, out of habit, the Caldwells and the Bells would exit without crossing paths. It had been that way for eight years, and she didn’t expect it would change in her lifetime.

  Anna’s father took his place behind the pulpit and the service began. Pastor Rawley announced the first hymn. Rose shared her hymnal with Lilly, which left Cora to share with Wyatt.

  He held the book toward her. As she grasped the corner, their fingers brushed, and awareness of his warmth and solidness and handsomeness sent a jolt up her arm, branding the inside of her heart.

  He smiled at her then. She swallowed hard, hoping he hadn’t noticed her reaction.

  Then the wheezy organ pumped out the hymn and they turned forward to join the singing.

  At first he didn’t sing, and she recalled his earlier confession that he growled rather than sang. She jabbed him in the ribs.

  When he glanced at her, she nodded toward the hymn book, silently suggesting he should sing.

  He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

  She managed to keep singing despite the bubble of laughter in her throat and ignored the little glances Mary Ann tossed their way.

  * * *

  Wyatt let the familiar words of the hymns fill his heart. Sitting in church with Cora holding the hymnal between them and listening to her sing at his side felt right and good and refreshing.

  Those silly girls giggling and glancing at him had annoyed Cora. Just as they annoyed him.

  The sermon was based on the passage, “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Before the last amen, Wyatt’s resolve had returned. He had vowed to move far enough away that his past couldn’t follow him. He’d promised himself he would not let anyone he cared about be hurt by being associated with a jailbird. He dared not forget it.

  The service over, he joined the general exodus, glad he could escape before Mary Ann reached him.

  The Bells paused to speak to their neighbors but carefully kept to one side of the yard.

  Cora leaned toward him to explain. “See that man and woman over there? The ones dressed in such fine clothes?”

  He nodded.

  “That’s Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell.”

  His eyes widened. “You attend the same church?” Wyatt looked at Mrs. Caldwell more closely. A regal woman with steel-gray hair, she wore a fancy bonnet, perhaps one of Mary Ann’s designs, and a velvet cape that was surely too warm for the present weather. Her expression could only be described as pinched, though Wyatt had no way of guessing if she always looked that way or only when she must be in the presence of the Bells.

  Mr. Caldwell wasn’t a big man but nevertheless carried an air of authority and power.

  “It’s the only church here. It’s either go to the same one or don’t go to any, so we’ve all decided to ignore each other on Sunday for the sake of worship.”

  He studied the idea. Somehow it didn’t seem right. “Doesn’t the scripture say if you have something against your brother you are to make it right before you come to church?”

  “It doesn’t say exactly that, but how are we to make peace when they want our land badly enough to try to drive us off?”

  They had walked ahead of the others and stood by the wagon.

  Mary Ann and her entourage headed in their direction.

  Wyatt groaned. “Any hope we can leave before your friend starts asking me more questions?”

  Cora waved to her sisters and they trotted over. “We’ll all get into the wagon. That way Mary Ann will realize we don’t plan to stay and visit.”

  Wyatt gratefully helped the girls into the back, waited for Lonnie to jump aboard, then climbed in, pulling the tailgate closed. He wondered what Lonnie thought of attending church, but the discussion would have to wait until they were alone.

  Mary Ann slowed, waved prettily and pouted a little.

  Wy
att silently begged Mr. Bell to hurry along. But the man made his way slowly toward them, his wife at his side, as they spoke to several neighbors.

  Finally they climbed onto the wagon seat and headed out of town. Wyatt let out a huge sigh.

  As they passed the livery barn, a swarthy man ducked into the shadows.

  Every nerve in Wyatt’s body jerked. He pulled his hat low and squinted at the man. Was it Jimmy Stone? He shook off the thought. No, this man was heavier. Though if Jimmy wanted to find him, he could. It wouldn’t take a skilled tracker to follow the trail a herd of horses left behind. And Jimmy had vowed revenge.

  Wyatt sank back against the side of the wagon. He was only letting his fear of discovery—it never quite left his mind—make him unnecessarily nervous.

  Later that evening, when he and Lonnie were alone, he turned to the boy. “What did you think of church?”

  Lonnie shrugged. “It was okay.” He grinned. “The girls sure did like you.”

  Wyatt groaned. “I hope they stay away. Young ladies are always full of demanding questions.”

  Lonnie sat back on his heels. “I never thought of that. What if they find out?”

  “We’ll just have to be careful of what we say.” He tried not to think of the man he’d seen as they left town. It couldn’t be Jimmy Stone. Could it?

  Chapter Twelve

  The next morning, Cora, Wyatt and Lonnie resumed work on the barn. Having had a serious talk with herself the night before, Cora concentrated on pounding in spikes and refused to let her mind wander to thinking of Wyatt as handsome, kind, gentle, helpful—

  Whoa. She wasn’t going to think like that anymore. No. If she couldn’t keep her mind occupied with measuring where to place the spike and hitting it with each blow then she’d think of less positive things.

  Such as how Wyatt had pulled his hat down when they’d passed the livery barn yesterday. As if he didn’t want anyone to see him. How could he be concerned about that when he’d gone to town Saturday and church on Sunday? Most everyone in the community would have seen him by then.

  Suspicion scratched at her thoughts.

  Everyone except for those just passing through. Maybe the man she’d glimpsed near the livery barn knew Wyatt. If so, why didn’t Wyatt greet him?