Mail Order Bride - Westward Joy: Clean Historical Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 16)

by Linda Bridey

  “Yep. That’s her. I’m not surprised you know her. You sort of run in the same circles, I guess, what with your parents being sort of friendly with mine,” Switch said. “Speaking of your parents, I like it when they come to dinner and Geoff does his Irish brogue. It warms me heart, it does, lass,” he said with a grin.

  Maddie laughed as Hope entered the kitchen. Switch stood and said, “We meet again, lovely Hope.”

  Hope blushed and smiled. “Switch. I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” she said.

  “I know, but I wasn’t far away and so I thought I’d drop in. Sit down and have some coffee with us,” Switch said and pulled out a chair for her.

  Hope let him seat her and watched him as he sat down again. “How did you get here?”

  “By walking on my two feet. I could have walked on my hands, but there’s too much snow. How are you?” he asked, as he took in her beauty.

  “I’m fine, thank you,” she said with a smile. “You were close by?”

  “Yeah. In the camp. I slept in a tipi. One of the ones that someone uses sometimes but not all the time. I went home with Hawk last night. Black Fox scared the crap out of me. I thought he was gonna kill me. I let out a war whoop, or what I thought was a war whoop, and he came barreling in the tipi and it was just a good thing I didn’t have to pee or anything right then or I’d have been very embarrassed.”

  Hope and Maddie both laughed at him.

  “Sure, laugh at me. It wasn’t funny at the time. He had a knife and everything. Turns out I made a distress signal or something, and he thought someone was attacking Squirrel’s family, which I wasn’t, of course. But he thought I was and when he came in there, I thought I was a goner. I was trying to explain to him what happened and he says, ‘Silence!’ I almost wet myself right there.”

  The two women were laughing too hard to respond.

  “Have you ever eaten rabbit stew? I never did until last night. I ate four bowls of it. It’s delicious. Then today I had fry bread and roasted venison. I didn’t know Indians ate so well. If my mother really does kick me out in a couple of weeks, I could see living there. I’ll just have to remember not to make that war whoop or else Black Fox will always thinking I’m killing someone.”

  Hope put a hand on his arm. “Slow down, Switch. Oh, you’re too much,” she said as she caught her breath.

  Maddie said, “Switch, it’s not a good idea to make a pregnant woman laugh so hard.” She put a hand on her stomach.

  “You’re pregnant? Oh, yeah, I see that now. I’m sorry. I mean, I’m glad you’re pregnant, but I’m sorry I made you laugh while you’re pregnant or so far along, I guess. Anyway, I’m sorry,” Switch said.

  “It’s fine,” Maddie said and sobered. “Why is Elizabeth kicking you out?”

  “I am not like my brother, Davey. He is following in Pa’s footsteps and going to take over the family business one day. Not me. I’m supposed to find a profession or I get the old heave ho.”

  “But you work at Will’s store. What’s wrong with that?” Maddie asked.

  Switch smiled. “Well, I guess the term ‘work’ is used a little loosely since I’m not paid for what I do.”

  “What do you do?” Hope asked. “I don’t think you told me.”

  “You know what I did at the bar the other night?” Switch said.

  Hope grinned. “How could I forget? You were spectacular.”

  His smile was bashful. “Thanks. Well, that’s what I do at Will’s place. I entertain them and the work goes better.”

  Hope and Maddie exchanged a look. Hope said, “I don’t think I understand.”

  “I have a table there that Will made that I bought from him. I use it like a stage and perform all kinds of things for Hawk and Will. They work better when I do it. Not only that, but they sell more on the days I’m there. It’s true. Ask Will,” Switch said. “Of course, my mother is not going to consider that an occupation. Nope.”

  Hope said, “I don’t understand why she has to make you leave.”

  Switch shrugged. “Enough about me. So what were you up to?”

  “I was actually working on a journal entry. My father wants me to keep a journal while I’m here so he can read about what I did and so forth. I don’t enjoy writing, so it’s not very pleasant,” Hope said.

  “Ah, I see. Do you like the snow?”

  “Yes! It gets dirty in Chicago quickly, but here, it stays so pretty,” Hope said.

  “I like it, too. Everyone’s always worried about the way I walk all over in it, but it doesn’t bother me at all. I enjoyed dancing with you. We’ll have to do it again sometime before you go back home. Mike’s an idiot.”

  Maddie glanced sharply at Switch. “Why do you say that?”

  Switch smiled. “Because Hope’s a beautiful girl, and he hasn’t scooped her up.”

  Maddie laughed while Hope blushed furiously. Switch laughed at Hope’s embarrassment. “Isn’t that better than me thinking you’re ugly?”

  “I guess so,” Hope said.

  “I’m sorry,” Switch said. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I mean it, though. It’s too bad you have to go back to Chicago.”

  Maddie yawned. “I am so sorry. It’s my nap time, I’m afraid. You two have a nice visit,” she said as she rose from the table. “It’s been nice meeting you, Switch. Don’t be a stranger, although, somehow I don’t think you will be,” she said with an amused glance at Hope.

  “Have a good nap, Maddie,” Switch said. He looked at Hope. “Wanna go for a walk?”

  “In this weather?” she asked.

  “Sure. Why not? We could walk through the barns. I’ve never seen them,” Switch said.

  “Well, that’s a little different. That sounds like fun. Much more than writing in that journal,” she said. “I’ll get my coat on.”

  *****

  Rachel paced nervously back and forth across her parlor as it neared seven o’clock that evening. That was the time she and Will had arranged for him to arrive. She was petrified that he wasn’t going to show up. Boo followed her back and forth, seeming to think they were playing some kind of game. Rachel smiled at the kitten, grateful for her playful antics.

  A knock sounded on her door and Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door and motioned Will inside. Boo immediately went to him and he picked her up. Her purr sounded loudly in the parlor, making them both smile.

  “Would you like some coffee or something?” she offered.

  Will shook his head. “I’m fine, thanks.” He tried to ignore how beautiful she looked, but he couldn’t.

  She nodded and sat down on the sofa. Will sat on the same wingback chair he’d sat in the night before. “What is it that you think you can say to change my mind?” he asked.

  Rachel cleared her throat and said, “Since you and I began our relationship, have I ever once lied to you about anything?”

  Will thought about it for a moment. “No, you haven’t. Not to my knowledge, anyway.”

  “Have I ever truly given you any reason to distrust me?” she asked.

  “Well, the fact that you lied to Brendon about us sleeping together certainly gave me pause.”

  “I explained about that, and I promised you I wouldn’t do anything like that again. Besides, at the time, you seemed fine with it and we even laughed about it. I don’t think that should be a factor anymore,” Rachel said.

  “Maybe it wouldn’t be, but combined with what I saw when I came to get you yesterday, well, it shows me that I really can’t trust you, Rachel. I thought I knew you, but I’m not so sure now,” Will said.

  Rachel squeezed her clasped hands together very hard to hide the fact that she was becoming angry at him. “I also told you what happened and it’s the absolute truth. I love you, Will—”

  “Don’t,” Will said, holding up a hand. “Don’t do that. I can’t stand it.”

  Rachel got up and went over to kneel by his chair. She put a hand on his knee and he jumped a little. “W
hat do I have to do to show you that I’m not lying, Will? It’s not fair of you to use my past against me when it has nothing to do with our relationship.”

  Will removed her hand from his leg and stood up. He couldn’t keep a clear head when she touched him. He wanted her too much, and it made him angry. His thigh seemed to burn where her hand had rested. “I’d say past dishonesty has a lot to do with our relationship. Our past relationship, Rachel. The only one we have now is strictly business.”

  She rose to her feet again. “That’s right, my past dishonesty, Will. I’ve learned my lesson and I’ve changed. I’m not the same woman I was when I left Dawson, and I think I’ve proven that. You’re so hung up on my white lie to Brendon that you’re letting it color the situation. Why would I want to kiss him when you’re the man I love?”

  “Stop it!” Will shouted.

  Rachel approached him, determined to make him see reason. “No, Will. I will not stop. You’re the only man I want. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have accepted your proposal.” She was close to him now and she ran a hand up his arm to settle on his shoulder. She felt his muscles tense. Looking into his emerald eyes, she said, “I know you still love me, Will. I can see it in your eyes. Why are you trying to hold to your anger? Why won’t you listen to reason?”

  Her touch was creating havoc inside him and he couldn’t think straight. “I-because loving and trusting are two different things, Rachel.”

  Her luminous dark eyes looked into his. “How can you love me but not trust me?” Her hands fisted in his flannel shirt and she shook him a little. “I have never lied to you, Will. I’ve already apologized for what I told Brendon about us. I’m tired of explaining myself!” Her voice rose and she shook him again. “What do you want from me?” she shouted.

  Will took hold of her shoulders, intending to make her let go of his shirt. Instead, the feel of her flesh in his hands ignited the desire for her that was always just underneath the surface. Her slightly parted lips drew his eyes and with a growl of frustration, he pulled her against him and dipped his head to take her mouth roughly with his.

  His forcible treatment of her should have offended or frightened her, but it didn’t. It heightened her need for him and her response was fierce. As the force of his kiss bent her back a little, she placed her hands on the back of his neck to urge him on and then fisted them in his hair and pulled on it.

  Will growled against her mouth and he began undoing her dress, suddenly wild to possess her as he’d wanted to do ever since she’d come back to Dawson. Rachel wasn’t shocked or resistant to his demands. They started pushing off each other’s clothing, ripping some of it their haste to reach bare skin.

  Will picked up Rachel and they kissed the whole way to her bedroom. As he dropped her playfully on the bed, Rachel was enthralled by the intense, predatory gleam in Will’s eyes. They reminded her of a large feline and she was his only-too-willing prey. With a feminine growl of satisfaction, she welcomed him into her embrace and gave herself up to the tempestuous longing she’d been holding back. It was not denied on that snowy December night.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Samuels clan was treated by Switch to an impromptu performance that evening. He used the long tables in the cookhouse as his stage. They’d started out playing poker, which they often did, and when Switch had started impersonating Dean, Seth had egged him on. The result was Switch using his chair to step onto the table and begin his show.

  Everyone pushed their chairs back and enjoyed it. He performed various soliloquies and monologues, which were met with applause. His impersonation of Black Fox brought shouts of laughter and he made fun of just about everyone present. Switch was blessed with quick powers of observation and it didn’t take him long to be able to mimic someone.

  All of this was funny enough, but his talents really shone when he began making up conversations while performing all of the parts. He did this for almost an hour and a half, after which he was pleasantly tired. After bowing to rousing applause, he hopped down from the table and sat in his chair again.

  Maddie asked, “How on Earth do you do that? It’s incredible. I can see it all and you don’t even need a real stage or scenery.”

  Switch said, “My drama teacher at Wayland helped me find my hidden talents and pushed me to develop them. I have him to thank for that. He was my favorite teacher.”

  “Well, it seems as if you’ve learned well,” Tessa said. Mike had volunteered to watch Sunny over at the house so she could have some fun. She was starting to feel more like her usual self and Mike thought playing some cards and such would be good for her. “Thank you for sharing your talents with us all, Switch.”

  “You’re welcome. It was the least I could do after you fed me so well,” he said. “You’re a good cook, Tessa.”

  “That’s the first I’ve really felt like making a meal since Sunny was born,” she said. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  Seth said, “Yeah, you ate enough of it. You and Jack should have an eating competition.”

  Switch smiled. “You set it up and I’ll do it, unless I’m hibernating at the time. Then you’re not gonna get me to do anything. Well, it’s getting late. I should go.”

  Maddie put a hand on his arm. “Go where? You can’t leave. It’s dark and it’s still snowing a little. You can’t walk home from here. You’ll freeze.”

  D.J. said, “You can sleep in my room. We’ll put a bedroll down for you.”

  Dean nodded. “That’s a good idea. There’s no way we can let you leave tonight.”

  “Are you sure?” Switch asked.

  “Yeah,” Dean said. “I’ll go get a bedroll for you.”

  “Ok. Thanks,” Switch said with a smile, but inside, he felt apprehensive. He could tell that this was one of the nights he wasn’t going to sleep and didn’t know what he was going to do with himself. He might be slightly tired, but it wasn’t going to be enough to shut his mind down.

  He was right. For two hours after going to bed, he tried in vain to sleep, but only tossed and turned. He was as quiet as possible as he got up and dressed. Once he’d crept down the stairs, he put on his boots, coat, and hat and began walking to the first barn. He wouldn’t wake anyone up out there.

  Briefly, he considered walking home, but decided that it wouldn’t be prudent. As he waded through the snow, a big hairy dog came out of the barn and softly woofed at him. Switch recognized Marcus’ wolf-dog, Roscoe, who was now elderly. The animal was in pretty good shape for his age though, and still got around, even though it took him longer to get from place to place.

  Switch entered the barn, Roscoe in tow. He patted the horses and played with Roscoe and one of the cattle dogs, a young Border collie named Petey. They played fetch and wrestled for a while, but Switch still wasn’t tired. He went into the tack room and sat down as he thought about Hope.

  She was beautiful, sweet, and smart. He could tell that she wasn’t quite sure what to think of him, yet she didn’t seem to mind spending time with him. He’d noticed her looking appreciatively at him a few times, and she had touched his arm quite a bit. A smile crossed his face as he thought about how pretty she looked when she laughed. Her lovely blue eyes lit up and her cheeks were rosy. Switch hadn’t failed to notice all of her other considerable physical attributes.

  His smile turned into a frown as he remembered that she would be going back to Chicago after the first of the year. It was best not to get involved, he knew. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them and yet … Forcefully, Switch stopped that line of thinking and got up again. He ran back and forth across the barn floor until he was exhausted. It was near dawn when that finally happened. Instead of disturbing anyone in the house, he climbed into the haymow and curled up in the hay.

  *****

  Will awoke next to a soft, warm, feminine body and stirred. Memories of the passionate hours he’d spent with Rachel came back to him and he smiled. Then guilt and reality came crashing down on him and he sighed. It should have neve
r happened. He’d had no right to make love to her since they were no longer getting married.

  That he would always love Rachel, Will knew. The problem was that he just couldn’t bring himself to trust her again. Could he grow to trust her again in time? He didn’t know. Was he willing to try? He didn’t know that either.

  Rachel’s hand slid across his bare chest, and Will felt a fresh surge of desire for her. She rose up on her elbow and smiled at him. She was the most alluring woman he’d ever been with and he wanted her again fiercely. She seemed to feel the same way because she moved closer, pressing herself against him and giving him a languorous kiss.

  Try as he might to resist, Will couldn’t break the spell she wove around him and he succumbed to her charms once again.

  *****

  Later on, as the sun finally shone its face down on the town again, Will rose from Rachel’s bed and began gathering up his clothing, putting it on as he found it. Rachel watched him as he bent and picked up his pants from the floor. He put them on and met her gaze. He gave her a small smile.

  She asked, “Can I convince you to take them off again?”

  He couldn’t help chuckling at her saucy attitude. “No. Sorry. I need to get to the store.”

  Rachel nodded. “I know. I just can’t resist teasing you. How about I cook us dinner tonight?”

  “Dinner?” Will asked, as he paused in tucking in his shirt.

  “Yes. A celebratory dinner,” she said with a smile.

  “What would we celebrate?”

  “Us being back together, of course,” she said.

  Will sucked in a breath at that. “Rachel, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression about last night, but we’re not back together.”

  Rachel’s happy expression turned into one of deep disappointment. “But, I thought … I mean, we made love, Will. Why would you do that if you didn’t want to reconcile with me?”

  Will’s hand plowed through his hair in an agitated manner. “I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been wanting you since we met and I guess things just got out of hand.”

  Rachel felt fury and embarrassment building inside. “Were they out of hand the other times after that? Is that why we barely slept all night?”