“Relieved?”
“Because now everyone knows. Lulu would forget things, important things. She would forget groceries and how to turn on the stove. She even forgot how to cook certain foods.”
“And Marci didn’t tell me?” His mind went back, really trying to think about Lulu for the last year. How long had Lulu known the truth about her condition and kept it from him?
“Marci was worried, Cord. And she was protecting Lulu. Her grandmother told her not to tell you because you’d worry.”
“I should have noticed.”
“They were good at hiding it.”
She walked up behind him as he put the food out on the counter. He set out the disposable containers and then he turned, pulling her into his arms. She whispered against his cheek that she was sorry and those words undid the resolve of the past few years, to do this on his own. He wasn’t a superhero, just a man who’d had enough of being let down.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. She felt good there, close to him, holding him. He wanted to bury his hands in her hair, claim her lips, never let go. The thought took him by surprise. It was the wrong time for this, for a relationship. He seemed to have a knack for bad timing.
He would like to think that maybe God had been preparing him for this moment and Katie. All the mistakes, the heartache, were leading up to making him the right man for the right woman.
And maybe it was just years of loneliness making him irrational.
He hadn’t even realized he was lonely until Katie. He did know that when she left, he’d be lonelier than ever before.
Chapter Eleven
When Gwen and Jeffrey returned that week they brought Katie her car. She slid behind the wheel of her Jeep, glad to have her own transportation again. After the previous day, taking Lulu to Mountain Acres, she seriously needed a drive, a way to clear her thoughts. She also needed to make a trip to Missoula. Maybe she would do that the next day. Today she was going to see the area and explore a little.
Anything to get out of the house and away from the crowds. With less than a week before the wedding, the brides and grooms had returned full force. The Shaw ranch was overrun with emotion, a few prewedding spats and too much lace.
She drove through town, making her way to the gas station before heading out River Road toward the Beaver Creek bridge. Or what was left of the bridge. She also wanted to see how things were progressing at the museum. When she’d first come to town, the siding had been going up. It would be interesting to see how far it had progressed in the weeks since. Three weeks. It was hard to believe she’d been here that long. And then, it was hard to believe she hadn’t always lived in Jasper Gulch.
As she got closer, she could see the bridge that spanned the river. From a distance, a person wouldn’t know that the bridge wasn’t passable. Up close, one could see the disrepair. Barriers had been put up to keep people from driving or walking across.
The museum was on a piece of land just before the bridge. In front of the metal building with the faux-wood front, giving it an Old West look, stood Cord and several members of the city council, including Mayor Jackson Shaw. She noticed Rosemary Middleton from the store, always a good source of helpful advice and gossip, and several others whom she’d met but couldn’t always keep their names straight.
Katie parked her car and got out, not planning to interrupt the meeting. She walked down to the bridge and watched as the water of Beaver River flowed beneath them. She tried to picture the accident that had led to the loss of Lucy Shaw. Her body had never been recovered. Katie had heard there had been a lot of rain and the river had been up, moving fast with a strong current. It was hard to believe that this meandering river could become a giant that would take a life. The road on the other side of the bridge seemed decent. She knew that if the bridge was repaired, Jasper Gulch would grow. There would be tourists from Yellowstone. There might be fly fishermen.
There would be growth that would change the small town. And growth that would keep it alive. She understood both sides of the issue.
She walked along the river for a short distance. The day was warm, almost sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The sun was bright. In the distance, blue skies were an exquisite backdrop for snowcapped mountains. She looked up, turning slowly to take in the beauty of this wild countryside. She stopped and squinted. In the distance, she saw a herd of deer. They were small and moved close together.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jackson Shaw came up to stand next to her.
“Yes, it is.”
“Cord said you might be staying in the area, renting that little store of his.”
“I’m thinking about it.” She didn’t want to say too much, but tomorrow she planned on giving notice to her boss in Missoula. Even if she didn’t decide to take the store in Jasper Gulch, this trip had convinced her to take a step in a new direction.
“It would be good for Jasper Gulch to have a clothing store. The ladies would probably like to buy something other than work jeans at the feed store.”
She smiled up at the older Shaw. “Yes, sir.”
“Well, I guess I’ll head home. Nadine has some chores for me around the house. I try to tell her that’s why we have sons, but she doesn’t always agree.” He smiled and tugged down on the brim of his hat. “You have a good day, Miss Archer.”
After a few minutes, she followed the path back to the museum. Cord had walked away from the group of council members. He waved and headed toward her. Katie stopped, waiting for him. He was in his element here, a rancher with confidence, knowing who he was and where he belonged in the world. She’d always pretended to have confidence but she had never felt it, not with that assurance.
“Want a tour?”
She nodded. “That would be nice.”
“Watch your step. We still have concrete work to do out here. The inside is shaping up. We’re putting up the interior walls.”
“So it should be done soon?”
He opened the front door for her and they walked in. “Not until we get more money. We’ve done what we could and we’ll have money from the wedding but not a lot. In the next week or so, we’ll probably bring construction to a standstill. The fund for rebuilding the bridge isn’t even close to enough for that project. It seems like we’re hitting a wall and I have to wonder if we should just let it all go.”
“Give up?” She smiled at him.
“Well, when said that way, I guess not.”
They walked around the large, open room. She knew that Olivia Franklin had been putting together a great collection for the museum. There would be photographs, letters from the past, articles left behind by settlers who first came to Jasper Gulch. It would be a shame if the collection was never given a home.
“My dad didn’t bother you down at the river, did he?”
Katie looked up at the unexpected question. “No, of course not. We talked about your building and if I would stay in Jasper Gulch.”
“And will you? You haven’t really been definite.”
“I’m praying. I know I’m making a change, but I’m still not sure what exactly that change will be. I came here for a wedding and fell in love.” At his look she continued, “With Jasper Gulch. But does that mean I’m supposed to stay? It’s a big decision.”
“Yes, it is. I was afraid he was pushing you to walk down the aisle with me. He’s worried that ninety-eight brides and grooms is not a record-breaking number. No one is going to show up for that wedding, and the couples participating were promised this amazing wedding that broke records.”
“I don’t think any of them are really worried about breaking records. They love the dresses, the history and the uniqueness of the event.”
“I hope you’re right. I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t on his way to church.”
“To pray?”
&nbs
p; Cord’s hand touched her back and he guided her out of the building and back into the bright afternoon sunshine. “No, to see why Pastor Ethan Johnson hasn’t asked Faith to marry him.”
“Are they dating?” Now she was really confused.
“No, but my dad would like it if they were.”
They both laughed as Cord walked her to the Jeep. She pulled the keys out of her pocket and stood there, unsure of what she should say. “I’m going to head back to the ranch. Tomorrow I’m going to Missoula for the day. There are things I need to take care of there.”
“Are there any details I need to take care of, with the wedding?”
“No, I think we’re actually all set. There will, of course, be last-minute things later in the week.” She climbed behind the wheel of the Jeep. “How is Marci?”
“She’s good. She wants me to invite you out for dinner. She has decided I’m not a terrible cook.”
“She’s a great kid, Cord.”
“I know she is. After school we’re going to visit Lulu.”
“Give them both a hug for me.” Katie started the Jeep, ready to drive away. Cord had once been the man she thought was safe. He wasn’t looking for someone. He was easygoing. A friend. Now he was the biggest entanglement of her life. She loved his dimple, the scar above his eye, the way his hair felt beneath her hands.
She loved when he held her. She loved him. She shook off the thought. She loved who he was, that was an easier statement, easier to deal with. She loved the way he treated his family, the way he took care of Marci and Lulu. The way he treated her like a friend who mattered. Not a friend good for a laugh or a quick call when he was lonely, but a real friend.
No! This couldn’t happen. Not now, not with this man. She wouldn’t fall back into the pattern of loving men who didn’t feel the same.
“Katie?”
She blinked a few times and smiled what she hoped was a convincing smile, one that didn’t give away the realization that had just dawned on her. He had taken up space in her heart in a way no other man ever had. He got her. Had anyone ever gotten her before?
“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry. I was thinking about how much this town means to me.” It wasn’t really a lie.
“Will we see you later?”
She shook her head. “No, I think I’ll head on to Missoula for the night.”
“Okay. Be safe. While you’re gone I’ll try to round up a new bride and groom before my dad tries to force someone to the altar.”
She backed out of the parking lot and she was proud of herself for not begging him to love her back. If she was going to stay in Jasper Gulch, she had to accept that Cord was a friend, a good friend, but he wasn’t a man looking for a woman to walk down the aisle with him. At least not for real.
* * *
Cord left the museum and headed for the Cutting Edge again. As he walked through the door, Annette shot him a look, the same kind of look a woman gives a badger in her chicken coop. He was reduced to being vermin.
“I told you no. I think I’ve told you no more than once.”
“I know, Annette, but you’ve met my dad. He’s pretty determined to have fifty couples and you’re the only other couple I know of.”
“Maybe you should find your own bride.”
“If I had a woman on the hook, don’t you think I’d try?”
She leaned over the counter and smacked her gum at him. Then she smiled. “And here I thought you were sweet on that pretty gal from Missoula, Katie Archer. I’m doing her hair in a couple of days. Do you want me to put in a good word for you?”
“Please don’t help me, Annette.”
“Well, you can’t seem to get a bride on your own.”
“Oh, I can get them, remember? I’ve had two. It’s the ‘getting them to the altar’ part that I’ve had trouble with in the past. I’m not trying to prove that practice makes perfect.”
She patted his hand that rested on the counter. “Well, at least you can laugh about it now. You’re a good man, Cord, and you need a good woman to help you raise Marci.”
“I think Marci and I are good on our own. I hired a lady from Ennis as a live-in housekeeper, that’s the only woman I need in my life right now. She’s sixty, doesn’t want to get married and she understands that Marci is important. To be honest...” He paused, guessing it must be the beauty shop effect—why else would he be telling Annette these things? “It wouldn’t be fair to any woman who came into my life to have to come in knowing that I’m devoted to making sure this kid and her grandmother are taken care of. It wouldn’t be fair to Marci if I got sidetracked.”
“That’s a load of hooey, Cord. That’s fear talking. You can care about more than one person at a time. And the right woman won’t be a distraction, she’ll love that kid right alongside you. Susan wasn’t the right woman.”
He shrugged off the Susan comment. “Are you sure I can’t talk you...?”
She shook her head. “Don’t ask me again, Cord. I’m not getting married at that ceremony.”
“I won’t ask again.”
“Promise? You know I do things my own way.” She patted her neon-streaked hair.
“I promise.”
She held out a hand, her pinkie finger extended. “Pinkie promise?”
“What good does a pinkie do?” He laughed as he hooked his pinkie with hers. “Other than make me feel like I’m on the playground again?”
“It made you smile, that’s what it did.”
He released her pinkie and let out a sigh. “I’ll smile a lot more when this wedding is over. And thank you for not making me spit in my hand and shake on it.”
She laughed at that, and he thought what a fortunate guy Tony Valdez was. “I considered it, but figured I’d pushed you far enough. You give Marci a hug for me, Cord.”
He tipped the brim of his hat and headed for the door. “I will.”
As he crossed the street to Great Gulch Grub, Rusty Zidek caught up with him. “Where’s the fire?”
Cord glanced at the older man. “Is there a fire, Rusty?”
Rusty laughed at that. “Stop being so serious, Cord. Take it from an old man, life has more good times than bad.”
“I’m sorry, Rusty. I’ve just had this wedding up to my neck. I can’t find a couple to replace the one we lost. I hope an epidemic of couples breaking up doesn’t happen. Wouldn’t that be good publicity?”
Rusty followed him through the doors of the café. “Well, from what I see these days on the TV, bad publicity seems to bring business. Look at some of these singers acting out the way they do. Instead of ignoring them, which is what you ought to do with naughty children, people rush out and buy their records.”
“They aren’t records anymore, Rusty,” Cord teased as they took a seat together.
“Yeah, I guess everything is all newfangled and digital. I was over at the library the other day and set me up an email account. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but I have one.”
“You can email family,” Cord offered.
“Yeah, I guess. Or I could pick up the phone or even write them a letter.”
Cord had to ask, “How did we get on this conversation?”
Mert headed their way, a smile on her face and an order pad in her hand.
Rusty laughed at Cord and turned over the coffee cup for Mert to fill it up. “Well, I reckon you started it.”
“No, I don’t think so. I think I mentioned trying to find a couple for the wedding.”
“And that’s how we got here.”
Mert cleared her throat. Cord smiled up at her. She had the ability to look like a warden, but then her eyes would sparkle with humor and she’d smile. “You two going to order or waste my time?”
“We’ll order,” Cord answered as he picked up a menu.
Rusty took a sip of his coffee and ordered a burger. “Any word on the time capsule?”
“None at all. Not a trace. Not a clue.” Cord looked the menu over, not that he needed to. “Burger for me, too.”
Mert shook her head and walked away.
“It’ll turn up,” Rusty said. No one could accuse the older man of getting sidetracked.
Cord raised his eyebrows. “Really, you think?”
“Yeah, these things have a way of working themselves out.”
“Rusty, what’s in that time capsule?”
Rusty toyed with his coffee cup. “You think an old man like me knows something like that?”
“Well, if anyone would...”
“You think it would be me?” Rusty looked up, meeting his gaze head-on. “Cord, that was a long time ago. Livvie done gave you a list of what was in there.”
“Yes, she did. And I guess it was a long time ago.”
“And you have other things to worry about, like how to keep that pretty redhead in town.”
Cord shook his head and wished he’d done anything other than come to Great Gulch Grub today. “I’m not sure why you’d say that.”
“Well, I guess I say it because if I was fifty years younger...”
Cord laughed, “Fifty years?”
A smile broke across Rusty’s aged face and he tugged on his gray mustache. “Well, maybe about seventy years younger.”
“I think you’d have a chance, even at fifty years younger.”
“I do have a way with the ladies. Been thinking about courting a certain someone.” He glanced up at Mert as she returned to refill their coffee.
“Don’t be looking at me, you old codger.”
They all laughed and Cord, for a few minutes at least, was able to forget the bridge, the museum and the wedding. He was able to forget that Marci and Lulu were depending on him. He almost forgot about green eyes the color of a spring meadow. But then he saw her drive down Main Street in her old Jeep and the man sitting across from him kicked his shin.
His Montana Bride Page 13