She swallowed. “First you have to promise not to interrupt. And promise you won’t get angry.”
He nodded.
“All right.” She stared down at their linked hands, avoiding his eyes. “It would be a lie if I said I was only doing this for my daughters. Because the feelings I have for you aren’t like anything I’ve ever known before. The way I feel...” She shook her head. “It frightens me. But I know that even if you didn’t feel the same way, I could go on living. I’ve learned that life doesn’t end when your heart is broken.” She took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t have done it except that I was desperate. You see, April, May and June—” she struggled to find the words “—you’ve made such a difference in their lives. Before you came here, they were so shy and so wounded. It broke my heart to see them struggling to find a way to fit in with all the others in this town... all the others who were part of a family. And then you came along and changed everything. You talked to them. You listened. And you liked them even when they weren’t very likable.”
He started to speak but she went on quickly. “It wasn’t just the fact that you helped them find their courage. It was so much more. You taught them to trust again. And to love again.” Millie tried to smile but her lips trembled, and the sight of it nearly broke his heart. “And I knew if you went away and left them, they would be shattered. And I couldn’t allow that.”
“What does this have to do with—”
She held up a hand. “You told me that you were leaving soon for Fort Denver.”
He nodded. “To deliver the mustangs.”
“Yes. And after you deliver them, you’ll continue on to Montana.”
“I never—”
“Malachite, I know that a woman with three children can be a tremendous burden to a man. Especially a man used to being on his own. And I know what a proud man you are. You would never ask help from anyone.”
“Help? Millie, I—”
She put a finger to his lips to silence his protest. “You promised.”
She took a step back to break contact. She needed to stand alone if she wanted to get through this. It was so difficult. She took another breath. “There wasn’t enough time to sell the house. But I thought if I could borrow against it, that would give us enough money to see us through the first year. I figured we could survive in a cabin in the wilderness.”
“A cabin—”
“Or even a tepee, if that’s what you wanted. Just so you’d allow us to be with you. I’d do whatever I could to help. And then, with both of us doing all we could, maybe we’d save enough to pay back the loan. Then we could sell the house, and there would be even more money to live on. Just so we could all be together. Like a family.”
“Is that what you want?”
She swallowed and looked away. She had her own pride. But she was beyond that now. Beyond shame, as well. “More than anything.”
“What do you think I want, Millie? Why do you think I stayed?”
“You stayed to capture Diablo. So you could add to your herd of mustangs. You said yourself you intended to return to Montana and be with your horses.”
“That may be what I planned. But plans have a funny way of changing. Especially when you lose your heart to someone.”
Her head came up. She stared at him as if she couldn’t believe what he had just said. “But yesterday you told me you were leaving.”
“To deliver the mustangs.”
“But you said in the spring...”
“I guess I did. But that was before I fell in love.”
“You... love me?”
“Hopelessly. Desperately. And now, after hearing all this, I think I love you even more.” He took a step toward her, watching her eyes. “Millie, there are things you don’t know about me. Things I wish now I’d told you. It would have saved you so much pain and heartache.”
“It doesn’t matter, Malachite. I don’t care about your past. Nothing you say will make any difference.”
“Good. Then I think you should allow me my turn.”
When she opened her mouth, he pressed a finger to her lips. “Remember when I told you about turning my back on the town and going off to the wilderness?”
She nodded.
“Have you ever heard of Grasshopper Creek?”
She shook her head.
He smiled. “I guess folks in Texas don’t care about what goes on beyond their own borders. Anyway, I fled to a place in Montana called Grasshopper Creek to hide away and lick my wounds. And while I was there, I discovered something that brought thousands of prospectors swarming over the hills.”
He was making no sense. “Prospectors?”
“Gold, Millie.”
“You found... gold?”
He nodded. “So much, in fact, that I guess I’m one of the richest men in Montana. Maybe even the whole west.”
“Rich? You’re a rich man?”
“But you see it didn’t matter. I still lived in my little cabin, raising my horses. And if I hadn’t been summoned to my mother’s deathbed, if I hadn’t come here seeking revenge on my father, I’d still be there, living like the poorest man in the world.” His voice lowered with feeling. “Because I was the poorest man in the world, Millie. I was living without love. Without anyone to share my life. All I had was gold. You and your daughters made the difference. Now my life feels so full. So rich.”
She shook her head, trying to take it all in. “And here I was worried about asking you to take on four more mouths to feed. And about offending your pride.”
“What you did...” He tipped up her face. “What you did was so generous, so brave. And so damnably foolish.” He took a deep breath. “I was here in town last night to tell the marshal what I’d learned about Byron. Then I came here to ask you to marry me. When I heard that you were at the bank, in the company of a man I’d just learned was a killer, I think I went a little crazy.” He framed her face with his hands and stared down into her eyes. “If I lost you, Millie, I wouldn’t survive it. I love you so much.”
“And I love you, Malachite. More than I ever thought possible.”
“Oh God, I never thought I could be so lucky. Will you marry me, Millie?”
“Oh, yes. Yes.” She offered her lips for a long, lingering kiss and felt the familiar thread of excitement curl along her spine. “Oh, Malachite. I can’t believe our good fortune. That you should love me the way I love you. That you want to marry me and stay here in Hanging Tree. Oh, let’s go tell the others. The girls will be so—”
He caught her hand and pulled her back into his arms. And kissed her until she was breathless.
“We’ll tell them later.”
“But—”
“Millie, you know I love your daughters. And I’m learning to love those sisters of mine. And their husbands and babies. But all this family togetherness is driving me crazy. For now, for a little while at least, I want you all to myself.”
Her smile grew. With a look of love that was so dazzling it nearly blinded him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted herself on tiptoe to kiss him.
“You’re right. They can wait. They can all wait. For now, for a little while longer, it will be our secret. Now, tell me again how much you love me.”
“Shh.” He lowered her to the straw.
And decided to tell her without words.
Epilogue
“I’ve never seen Cookie looking so happy.” Marshal Regan pointed to where the old man was carving thick slices of roast beef and stacking them on a huge platter under the careful direction of Carmelita.
A table, groaning under the weight of enough food to feed the entire town, extended the length of the front porch.
The last of the snow had melted. A gentle breeze was perfumed with the first hint of spring flowers. It was a perfect day for a wedding.
A steady stream of wagons and carriages rolled over the hills. The house and yard were abloom with families from town and the surrounding ranches. Many of them had never been
to the Jewel ranch before and were eager to see how the family, considered Texas royalty, lived.
“Why shouldn’t Cookie be happy?” Malachite muttered. “He doesn’t have to wear a new suit and make a fool of himself in front of the entire town.”
“Ah. Pre-wedding jitters. I’m glad to see you’re human, just like the rest of us,” the marshal said with a grin.
“You mean you were all this nervous when you married my sisters?”
If the others noticed how easily the word sisters slipped from his tongue, they chose not to mention it. There was a time they had thought this mysterious, angry man would rather die than acknowledge his family. Now he was building a bond that grew stronger with each passing day.
Cal slapped him on the back. “Hell, I felt like heading for the hills. But it was the price I was willing to pay to spend the rest of my life with Pearl.”
Quent nodded. “Adam here was the only one whose wedding was simple. But that was because Diamond wanted it that way. In case you hadn’t noticed, Di doesn’t care much for pomp and ceremony. And she certainly doesn’t want the whole town knowing her business.”
“Lucky man,” Malachite muttered.
“I’d say you’re one lucky man yourself.” Adam nodded toward the group of wranglers heading behind the barn with a jug. “Need a little courage?”
Malachite shook his head. “What I need is to see Millie.”
“Not a chance.” Cal chuckled. “The women consider it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”
“Here.” Dan passed around the expensive cigars he’d ordered for the birth of his twin sons. “Let’s have a smoke.”
They were silent for a few minutes as they struck matches and puffed, watching wreaths of smoke curl above their heads and dissipate into the air.
“I saw you riding out earlier,” Adam said. “For a minute I thought you might be hightailing it out of here.”
Malachite grinned. “I just wanted to ride to the grave site. Had a few things I wanted to talk over with my father.”
“He’d be proud of you,” Cal said.
Malachite touched a hand to the green stone at his throat and felt the pulse of heat. “Not as proud as I am of him. I made him a promise. That I’d have my mother’s remains brought here to rest beside him.”
“That’ll make your sisters happy. Say,” Cal added with a burst of pride, “did I tell you that the bank examiners were so impressed with Gil’s research, they’ve offered him the job of running the bank?”
The others slapped him on the back and offered their congratulations.
“Of course, they’ll expect him to complete his courses from the university,” Cal cautioned. “And someone from St. Louis will be looking over his shoulder. But they said since their biggest investor recommended Gil for the job, they wanted to keep him happy.” He stared pointedly at Malachite and offered his hand. “Thanks for speaking up on his behalf.”
Malachite accepted his handshake. “No need to thank me. Gil’s the smartest and most honest young man I’ve ever met. He’s the logical choice to run the bank and regain the trust of the townspeople.”
“Maybe he and Birdie Bidwell will be the next ones walking down the aisle,” the marshal said.
That had Cal grinning, “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“While we’re offering thanks, Malachite, I’d like to add mine—” the marshal offered his handshake to Malachite “—for persuading Millie to let us buy her house.”
“Thanks aren’t necessary.” Malachite squeezed his hand. “Millie’s really happy to know the house will stay in the family.”
“I bet you’ll be happy to move out of the rooms above the dress shop, with all those feminine frills and gewgaws,” Dan said.
Quent nodded, then lowered his voice. “But there’s another reason. Ruby’s saving the announcement until after the wedding so she won’t steal Millie’s thunder on her big day. But the reason we need the house is that we’re... expanding.”
“A baby?” Adam thumped him on the back. “When?”
Quent shrugged. “Late summer, I expect.”
The others clapped his shoulder and offered handshakes. Quent turned to Malachite. “I suppose you’ll be making an announcement like this sometime next year.”
To hide the quick flash of emotion, Malachite took a moment to study the ash at the end of his cigar.
Abruptly he muttered, “I don’t care what you say, I need to see Millie. Now.”
As he ambled off, the three men chuckled.
Adam dug into his pocket. “Five dollars says he doesn’t get past the pack of hens guarding the blushing bride.”
“You’re on,” Cal said, matching his bet. “I’m putting my money on Malachite. How about you, Quent?”
The marshal took the money from both men. “I’ll hold your bets. But being a lawman, I won’t take sides. Dan?”
Dan shook his head. “It wouldn’t do for the town preacher to gamble. But my money’s on Malachite.” As he turned away, he called, “Let me know who wins. I’d better get on up to the house and get ready for the ceremony.”
* * *
Malachite made his way through the throngs of guests, being forced to stop every couple of steps to accept a handshake and a word of congratulations.
Once inside it was even harder to move. There were people everywhere. They explored the big, rustic kitchen. They toured the cavernous dining room with a table large enough to seat twenty or more guests. They milled about the formal parlor, furnished with ornately carved high-back chairs from Mexico, which were paired with elegantly embroidered footstools from Europe. A Turkish rug covered the floor and Irish linen curtains graced the windows.
Already rumors abounded about the mysterious Malachite Jewel, who had captured and tamed a mythical mustang. The millionaire who had discovered gold in the wilderness. Whose mother was sister to a powerful Comanche chief and whose father was a legend in Texas.
“Here he is now.”
A ripple of excitement went through the crowd.
“I hear all he has to do is look at a wild horse and it’s tame.”
“Got those three shy little girls eating out of his hand, doesn’t he?”
“I was told he walked clear across Montana until he spotted gold nuggets just sitting there waiting for him.”
“He’ll probably discover gold on the Jewel property, too.”
“Hell, he already discovered gold. Not too many women can cook and keep a house like Millie Potter. Man would be a fool not to keep her.”
“Malachite Jewel’s no fool. No sir.”
The man they were whispering about accepted a hundred handshakes and words of congratulation before he finally managed to make it to the stairs.
In his haste he took them three at a time.
* * *
“Hurry up.” Impatient, Diamond shouted for the third time, “Ruby, I swear, if you don’t send Millie out here soon, I’m going to come back there and rip down that screen.”
“Very well, chérie. But let me smooth down the skirts first.”
Jade, seated on the sofa, held little Jasper, who was sound asleep, while Birdie, seated beside her, held a wiggling, cooing Jet.
Diamond was pacing, balancing little Onyx at her hip. Pearl was bouncing Amber on her knee.
Ruby had already dressed April, May and June in their frilly gowns of palest green, with matching ribbons to tie back their long red curls. At their throats were the necklaces Malachite had made for them. They had insisted upon wearing them, over Ruby’s vigorous disapproval.
“It simply isn’t done,” she had argued. “Strips of leather. Primitive stones.” She had wrinkled her pretty little nose. But they had refused to budge.
“Malachite made them just for us. Because he loved us.” April’s voice vibrated with such pride Ruby had been forced to back down. After all, hadn’t her own father given each of his daughters a necklace as a sign he would always be with them? Malachite was definitely his fat
her’s son.
Now, as they waited, the three little girls were making a valiant effort to sit still.
Moments later Ruby folded back the ornamental screen she had set up for privacy. There was a collective gasp when they had their first glimpse of Millie in the gown Ruby had made.
“Oh my.” Pearl blinked and dabbed at her eyes.
“You have outdone yourself,” Jade said as she took in the softly rounded neckline, the long, tapered sleeves, the full skirt, gathered here and there with white satin bows. On Millie’s feet were white satin slippers. Her hair was soft and loose. Tucked here and there among the curls were sprigs of ivy and wildflowers.
“I asked Ruby to keep it simple.” Millie turned to Diamond, who could always be counted on to tell the unvarnished truth. “What do you think?”
“I think...” Diamond circled her, nodding, smiling. “I think you look so good, Malachite may forget his manners.”
That brought a flush to Millie’s cheeks and a chorus of laughter from the others.
They looked up at a loud knock on the door.
From outside came Gil’s muffled voice. “Reverend Dan’s ready to start the service.”
The women got to their feet, carrying their babies. As they opened the door, they found Malachite just about to knock.
“You mustn’t see your bride yet,” Jade said. “You have to wait until she comes downstairs.”
“I’ve waited all I can.” His presence filled the doorway.
At the sound of his voice, the three little girls jumped up and ran to him. At once he got down on his knees and gathered them close. After a quick, hard embrace, he held them a little away. “Oh, look at you.”
“Do you think we look pretty?” June asked.
“You’re the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.”
“We’re wearing your necklaces,” May said.
“I see. That makes me very proud.”
Ruby stood in front of Millie, vainly trying to block Malachite’s view. “You must leave,” she commanded. “It isn’t right to see her yet.”
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