Abigail's Adventure (The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides Book 1)

by Caroline Lee

  “That’s for you.” Matthias nodded at the bowl of fruit. “You can eat as much as you want.”

  Joshua’s gaze, identical to his mother’s, flicked between his new stepfather and the fruit. Finally, he licked his lips. “Peaches are Maggie’s favorites.”

  Maggie’s favorites, not his, Matthias noted as he sorted out the oats he’d been soaking and set some water to boil. But then, he remembered what it was like to be Joshua’s age, and especially how it felt to be in a new place, someplace he was unsure about.

  Humming thoughtfully, he crossed to the table and pulled out two of the peaches; one for himself, and the one Joshua had been eating. As he bit into his, he held the boy’s out to him.

  His gaze never leaving Matthias’s eyes, Joshua slowly reached out, then snatched the fruit back. Interesting how yesterday he was angry and rude, but today he seemed nervous and hesitant.

  Matthias pulled out a chair and sat down, still munching on the peach. “I get these from Gomez’s in town.” He just wanted to get the boy talking. “Someone ships them in, I guess, but I like ‘em because we can only get them a few weeks out of the year.”

  His eyes now on the fruit in front of him, Joshua nodded. “I like them too,” he admitted quietly. “Back home we only got them occasionally, when Wiggie gave them out as treats.”

  He knew from Abigail’s letters that Wiggie had been her employer, the one funding the new school his wife was starting. But he had to gently correct his new stepson on one point. “This is your home now.”

  A scowl slammed across the boy’s face once more, and he defiantly took a bite of the peach. “ ’S not our home,” he said around a mouthful of the fruit. “We’re not staying.”

  Matthias wondered what had happened to the boy—to Abigail—in their pasts to make them so skittish around him. He wasn’t stupid, and knew it must have something to do with the boy’s father.

  He sighed and tried to change the subject. “I’ve got to spend most of the day at the livery to make up for the time I took off yesterday. There’s a boy who works with me. I had him take care of customers yesterday, but I don’t like to leave the horses alone too much.” When young Hezekiah goes off to college in the fall, Matthias had been hoping Joshua would take his place…assuming the boy ever got over his dislike of him.

  Joshua stared at him, defiantly chewing.

  Hmm. What else to say to this new son of his? What would he have wanted to hear, as a ten-year-old? He stood to make the coffee and considered his conundrum. How to maintain authority, but still let Joshua know he was ready and willing to love him as a son?

  Matthias took a chance and opened up a little about his past.

  “My whole life, I wanted to work cattle. It was what I was good at, see? Or at least, that’s what I thought I was good at. My parents had a little spread down in Kansas, but my oldest brother took it over, and our other brother works with him. I came up here for work almost twenty years ago, and found it at the Ryan ranch outside of town. It’s called Sunset Valley.”

  Coffee in hand, he turned to rest his hip against the counter, wondering if Joshua was listening. The boy was still holding the fruit, and when Matthias turned, he hurried to take a big bite, as if he didn’t want anyone to know he’d been caught listening.

  Hiding his slight smile behind his mug, Matthias continued. “I worked my way up to foreman, and I realized something important. I thought I was good with beeves, but really it was the horses. I loved being on the horse, moving like one beast. See, out there on the range, a man’s horse is an extension of himself.” His gaze dropped to the dark liquid in his mug, remembering the joy, the freedom of riding a good horse across the open grass.

  He sighed. “But almost two years ago I was shot in the gut—”

  “What happened?”

  Matthias glanced up at his stepson. For the first time, the boy looked interested. Oh well, better oblige the kid. “A gunslinger came to the ranch, and I protected my boss’s wife. Caught a gut full of lead for my effort, and darn near died.”

  “You didn’t,” Joshua pointed out.

  “I didn’t, no, but I had to give up what I loved.” It still hurt, despite what Matthias had accomplished since then. “I don’t have the strength to sit in a saddle for any long length of time. Doc Vickers told me that would happen, but I had to go out and test it for myself.” He winced, remembering the painful and humiliating time he’d spent with Lucas out at Sunset Valley last autumn. “I learned the doc was right, and I was a fool. So with my boss’s help, I bought the livery here in town and run it now. I rent out horses and wagons, and one of the local horse breeders uses my space to sell animals.” He lifted his chin, reminding himself he had every reason to be proud of what he'd accomplished. “I’ve built it into a successful business.”

  One he hoped to turn over to his son. He kept imagining that big painted sign out front: Blake and Son Livery. He and Joshua would work side-by-side, a relationship built on respect and mutual understanding. He’d be able to teach the boy everything he knew about horses, so that one day, Joshua could take over the livery and be able to ride with the best hands out there. He’d share with his son the things he could no longer handle himself.

  But then Joshua had to go and ruin that dream.

  “Horses? Huh.” The boy wrinkled his nose as he turned the peach, looking for a new place to bite. “They’re huge and smell horrible. And their feet are dangerous.” He took a bite. “No thank you,” he managed, a little drip of juice leaking from the corner of his mouth. “Books never kick you or bite you or try to throw you off.”

  Matthias stared. Books? Books? The kids preferred books to horses? What the heck was wrong with him?

  But as Joshua finished the rest of his peach and pushed away from the table, heading for the backdoor to throw out the pit, Matthias had to admit Abigail’s letters had warned him, and she had been right: Joshua was just like her. The boy was definitely planning on helping her with the school.

  So where did that leave Matthias’s dream of Blake and Son Livery?

  Her first full day in Black Aces and already Abigail was hosting a dinner party! Well, admittedly, she hadn’t done any of the actually cooking, and the house had been mostly ready for guests, but still.

  She’d been embarrassed this morning to realize she’d slept in, and her new husband had already eaten and gone to the livery. She considered visiting him, but each time she thought about greeting him, her face became so red, it burned. The thought of facing him, after what they’d done last night, was simultaneously mortifying and wonderful.

  She was sure she’d acted like a common harlot last night, but Matthias didn’t seem to mind. Instead, after, he let her turn the lamp up and explore his scar…and the rest of him. It had been so long since she’d been with a man who actually interested her, and Abigail was surprised she’d wanted to discover everything about this new husband of hers.

  Just as she’d suspected, Matthias Blake knew how to cherish a woman, in bed at least. But what did that mean about the rest of him? What would he do when he discovered she didn’t intend to devote herself to him? That she planned on putting the school and the children first?

  Would he become angry? Would he punish her or hurt her children?

  No. She forced those thoughts down. He hadn’t given her any indication he was like Cyrus. Just the opposite, in fact. He’d left her a note explaining he’d be at the livery all day, but to expect company for dinner that night. He even wrote out their names and the fact his friend, Mrs. Ryan, would be bringing dinner.

  So Abigail breathed a little sigh of relief, knowing she could spend the day in her new house…hiding from her new husband. She unpacked everyone’s trunks, smoothing out the clothing and finding places for everything, while Joshua cataloged the books. Maggie was left on her own, which had probably been a mistake, since they had to rescue her once from the porch roof and once from the high branches of a tree in the backyard, where she’d climbed up to see a
bird’s nest apparently.

  After lunch Abigail turned her children outside together, where Maggie discovered a rabbit warren and Joshua proved he could climb to the top of his sister’s tree, much to Maggie’s irritation. The fight was only resolved when their mother made them both carry water for baths into the kitchen.

  And now? Now her children were perfect angels, sitting around the dining table, making small talk with Matthias’s guests. Lucas Ryan was surprisingly young to have been Matthias’s former boss, but he seemed to be a very nice man, and his wife was delightful. Their daughter, Hope, was probably why Maggie was acting so angelic; the one-year-old was sitting in the tall chair beside Maggie, and the two little girls had already become fast friends.

  Joshua was seated across from River Hartwell, one of the local ranchers Matthias knew. Apparently, the man—who went by “Hart”—bred horses and sold them through the livery, so they were sort of business partners. Despite her son’s lack of interest in animals, he was asking all sorts of questions of Mr. Hart, and Abigail suspected it was because the man appeared to have Indian blood, and Joshua was curious. She wondered how long it would be before the boy outright asked, and while she knew it would be beyond rude, Abigail was honest enough to admit herself curious as well.

  When Matthias’s hand touched hers under the table, Abigail startled. She turned to him, breathless, knowing she’d let her mind wander again. The way he was smiling told her she’d missed something important.

  Please don’t make me ask what it was, she begged him with her eyes. That would be so embarrassing.

  Whereas Cyrus might’ve enjoyed her squirming, Matthias’s grin gentled. “Lucas was wondering how the school is coming along.”

  “Oh!” she said gratefully. “I haven’t even gone to see the building yet! We spent the day unpacking.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I’m sure you were exhausted after yesterday.”

  His eyes widened the exact same time his words caught up with, not only his own, but her brain as well, and she blushed. After the night they’d had, they both were exhausted.

  Down the table, Lucas’s snicker was quickly hushed by his wife, and Abigail blushed even brighter.

  Matthias’s grin turned knowing, and he squeezed her hand once more. “Maybe tomorrow at lunch we could go visit the school. I usually close down for the meal, and it would be nice to spend the time with my new family.”

  Now Abigail was blushing for another reason altogether—happiness. She glanced at Joshua, wondering if he appreciated how sweet Matthias was being, but the boy was glaring at his stepfather.

  Oh dear. It was obvious the two of them weren't going to get along, or at least, that Joshua wasn’t going to give Matthias a chance. Was the boy comparing him to Cyrus? Was he expecting the worst?

  And how was that any different than what Abigail herself had felt?

  From beside Abigail, Mr. Hart spoke up. “Mr. King have anything to say about the school opening back up?”

  Matthias’s lips turned down slightly. “No. I didn’t even ask him. Should I?”

  “No!” Lucas jabbed his fork in his potatoes. “The man only thinks he’s in charge around here. No one elected him mayor or gave him any other position to make him in charge of anything. He doesn’t get a say over this town's school.”

  Shannon hummed thoughtfully and reached over to pull a knife away from her daughter's reach and traded it for a spoon. “I don’t know. From what I’ve heard, he gets a say over pretty much everything in this town.”

  Abigail turned to her new husband. “Who is Mr. King?”

  Matthias was still frowning slightly. “Augustus King arrived in town a few years ago, claiming to own the land a good portion of Black Aces sits on. He won it from the original owner, and began to demand rent from the existing businesses. Those people who can’t, or won’t, pay get pushed out of town.”

  Abigail gasped. “What?”

  Nodding, Shannon took up the explanation. “The sheriff says he’s investigated and there’s no connection between the incidents, but it’s hard to ignore the fact the businesses which don’t pay have mysteriously caught fire.” She gestured towards the other end of the table. “Matthias was smart to build this house outside King’s boundaries.”

  “Yeah, but the livery wasn’t.” Matthias sighed. “I had to buy the building, then pay King for an ‘insurance policy’, as he called it.” He grimaced, obviously still irritated by it. “It wasn’t cheap, but I couldn’t afford to stand up to him.”

  This time, it was Abigail who squeezed his hand, trying to comfort him. She was pleased he hadn’t done something so foolish as to stand up to such a rich and powerful man, not to mention, one who sounded quite evil. She much rather him be whole, and here with her.

  Lucas said to his wife, “Don’t forget our mysterious benefactor though.”

  When he rolled his eyes, Abigail caught it. “What? Who?”

  Shannon waved airily. “There’s rumors about a masked man, a hero all in black, who rides around saving the day.”

  Hart snorted, still bent over his meal. “They call him The Black Ace, which is ridiculous. Fools just need something to believe in, I figure.”

  Lucas leaned forward. “They say he robs from King and gives to people who need it, like some kind of Robin Hood.”

  “There was that time one of King’s men was found shot in the alley behind Gomez’s store,” Shannon said, “after Mr. Gomez told King he couldn’t pay. I think The Black Ace caught the man about to set another one of those fires!”

  Beside Abigail, Hart snorted again. “You think there’s a man dressed all in black, riding around saving the day?” He pointed his fork at Lucas. “And here I thought you were smart.”

  Lucas didn’t seem to mind the insult. “I’m not dumb. I just like having something to believe in. We’re lucky out at the ranch that King doesn’t bother us much, but it’s nice to think there’s someone out there standing up to him.”

  Hart just shook his head and went back to his meal. “Ridiculous.”

  For the first time since The Black Ace was brought up, Matthias spoke. “I believe in him,” he said quietly. “Last spring, one of the mine foremen stood up to King. We heard about it after the fact, but the poor man couldn’t pay, what with his wife being so sick. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised to wake up in the middle of the night to the church bell—that’s what happened with the other fires, remember? But this time, the church bell was ringing before the fire had really caught. A bunch of us formed a line and managed to put it out before it spread off the porch where it’d been set.” He shrugged and met Hart’s eyes. “After, we all asked around, and no one knew who’d rung the bell. Whoever he was, he alerted everyone to the danger, then disappeared.”

  The darker man—was he an Indian?—just rolled his eyes and went back to his meal. “Sounds like a load of hokum to me.”

  Across the table from him, Joshua nodded solemnly. “It would be foolish if it were true, but it’s a great story!”

  Lucas snorted with laughter at the boy’s serious tone, but when Joshua turned to him with a glare, the man hid his face behind his napkin. Then Shannon nudged her husband, although she was also smiling, and little Hope banged a spoonful of potatoes against her plate. The food went everywhere, and the table erupted in laughter.

  Maggie had a lot of fun trying to clean it up, and even Hart joined in on the suddenly lightened mood. Through it all, Matthias kept Abigail anchored in her chair with a firm grip on her hand. It wasn’t a commanding hold, but more…supportive. And when she turned to him, he gave her a private little smile.

  It felt like a promise, that smile. A promise of more to come, and Abigail was surprised to find herself excited by the prospect.

  And tomorrow, she’d get to see her school for the first time. Yes, coming to Black Aces was the right move after all. Apparently Wiggie was right!

  Chapter Seven

  On the second full day of their marriage, Matthias got to see hi
s wife’s mind in action.

  Abigail and the kids had come to the livery early with his lunch, and Matthias had wolfed it down, excited to spend time with all of them. But by the time he was finished, the kids were wandering around the livery— Hezekiah was out back—and Abigail was sitting so nicely beside him, he wasn’t in a real hurry to move.

  Instead, he stretched out on a bale and reached over to hold her hand. She took it without looking at him, but he liked the way her cheeks pinked slightly. Last night had been just as good as their first night together, and Matthias smiled to remember it.

  Wonder what tonight will bring?

  He shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable in suddenly too-tight trousers. “You want to go check out the school?”

  Her eyes were still on the kids. “Yes, please,” she said softly, “But in a minute.”

  They watched Maggie pull herself up on a stall so she could pet one of Hart’s horses, and when Abigail had gasped and moved to follow her daughter, Matthias stopped her with an arm around her waist. He nodded towards Joshua, who’d moved to stand underneath his sister, ready to catch her. Maggie hadn’t noticed, being far too engrossed with the horses.

  “He’ll take care of her,” Matthias said under his breath, not wanting the boy to know they were talking about him. “He’s a good brother.”

  Beside him, Abigail let out a breath and sunk back down to the seat he’d made by laying a blanket over another bale. “He really is. He’s good with all the children, which is why I’m so glad he’ll be helping with the school. But I have to remember that he’s just a child, and needs time to not have to be responsible.”

  Matthias shrugged. “I dunno. Having responsibilities makes a man feel like a man. I know he’s young, but maybe he likes helping you out like that.” He jerked his chin towards the kids. “He’s keeping her safe, even though I don’t think she’s in any danger.”

  “Is that animal…tame? I don’t know what you call it. You rent and sell horses, right? So he won’t bite her?”