by Lily Graison
The silence that followed was deafening. Edna looked as if she wanted to be offended, but her gaze swept over the room quickly before landing on Grace again. “There’s no talking to the younger generation. I’m not even sure why I try.” She shook her head and dragged her fabric swatches from the basket she’d set by her feet and looked back up at everyone in the room. “Now, what gossip did I miss?”
As if Edna hadn’t appeared and disrupted the tranquility, Mrs. Talbert rushed out the next bit of gossip she’d heard, the “oohs” and “aahs” filled with quiet chatter. They stopped an hour later and had tea served in china that rivaled the gold accented set Grace herself had sold in Boston before traveling across country.
Holding a plate of small sandwiches and cookies, Grace surveyed the room until the three Avery women approached her, smiles curving their lips.
“That was very well done, Grace.”
Abigail nodded her head, agreeing with Sarah. “It was. It takes a special kind of person to take on Edna and win.”
They giggled, glanced over their shoulder to make sure Edna wasn’t within hearing range and continued. “I think she means well,” Laurel said, “But she’s very straight forward about things…”
“Don’t forget nosy,” Abigail chimed in.
Laurel grinned and finished with, “And it just comes off as rude most of the time. Don’t ever let her back you into a wall. I did once and she thought she had a hold over me. Just stand your ground with her.”
Grace smiled. “I’ve known women who make Edna look like a scurrying mouse running for shelter.” She looked over the women’s shoulder at Edna. “She doesn’t intimidate me in the least.”
“Good,” Abigail said. “You’ll get along just fine in Willow Creek with that attitude.”
They paused, all four of them sipping their tea for a few minutes before Sarah cleared her throat and looked at the others. “So, what’s going on with you and Rafe? I noticed the look he gave you back at the house and I just thought… well, is there something going on there or are you going to marry Jesse?”
Grace’s eyes widened in horror. “I can’t marry Jesse. Why would you even think a thing? He’s just a child.”
Sarah grinned. “I didn’t think you’d actually marry him but I had to ask.” She took a sip of her tea before saying, “Has Rafe asked for your hand?”
Grace sighed. “No. I don’t think he wants to marry me. Every time it comes up in conversation, he either changes the subject or says Jesse would never allow it.” She stared down into her cup.
Silence descended over the little group and it was Abigail who shook her head and said, “How much do you know about Rafe?”
Grace shrugged her shoulder. “Enough, I guess.”
“You know about Maggie and Katie, then?”
Maggie? Tilting her head to one side, Grace stared at Abigail. “I’ve never heard of, Maggie? Who is she?”
Silent stares passed between the Avery women. Grace didn’t like the look on their faces. “Maggie is Holden’s dead wife.”
“Oh.” Grace glanced at Laurel before turning to look at Abigail again. “What does she have to do with Rafe?”
“Well, at one time, Rafe was pretty sweet on Maggie and from what Morgan’s told me, he bought a ring and made plans to marry him.”
Grace knew where this story was going before Abigail even finished telling it. She also knew why Katie leaving him seemed to affect Rafe so greatly. Not only had his first love left him for his friend, his wife abandoned him for a complete stranger.
No wonder the prospect of marriage didn’t appeal to him.
And with that bit of knowledge, Grace knew a future with Rafe was out of the question. He may want her, and want to bed her, but he’ll never marry her.
The realization tore a piece from her heart. Regardless of how much she wanted a future with him, she’d never be his wife.
“Morgan went to see him once he came home,” Abigail was saying. “But he said the conversation was strained. There was still a lot of hurt feelings there but it’s not so bad now. Morgan can get Rafe to talk to him but he said their conversations aren’t as easy as they once were. Those men had been best of friends at one time and now…”
“They can barely be in the same room together.” That odd look on Rafe’s face when he’d come into the house to tell her he was leaving made sense now. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the Avery men. With everything she’d just learned, she understood his animosity.
She couldn’t say she blamed Rafe for it. She knew nothing about the Avery’s but could only imagine how it would feel to have the girl you love run off with a man who was supposed to be your friend. She imagined it still stung and seeing Holden, having him inside his house, was probably killing him.
Grace listened to them talk for the next half hour before they were sewing again. Talk of the new doctor arriving in a few weeks had everyone looking toward Grace. If she was looking for a husband, why not the new doctor?
Why not indeed.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rafe lost count of how many of his cows Ben had. Colt and Holden were still counting, looking at each animal they passed, their heads shaking as they spotted another Samuels brand.
Ben’s foreman finally saw them and shouted something to a man near the fence before turning and heading straight for them. When he reached their side, Rafe recognized him as one of the men from the creek.
The man pushed up the front of his hat, looked at the three of them with a raised eyebrow. “What can I do for you gentlemen?”
Holden didn’t waste time getting to the point. “Came to talk to Ben about why he damned up the creek and why he’s taking the Samuels herd.”
The foreman barked out an arrogant laugh and nodded toward the house with the tilt of his head. “Best take those sort of accusations up with the boss man.”
“I plan on it.” Holden flicked his horses reins and started for Ben’s sprawling two-story house. Rafe and Colt followed, both men keeping their eye on the foreman.
Ben’s place was almost as impressive as the Avery ranch. It was pretty evenly matched in acreage but it lacked the charm the Avery’s place did. Rafe figured it was due to the fact the Avery clan was close-knit. A family that could trace their lineage back generations and that fact alone made the place more friendly-like. The same couldn’t be said for Ben’s spread. As big as it was, it seemed—industrial, to Rafe. As if the only reason it was here was to make money.
It made sense he felt that way, he supposed. Ben was a drifter who hit it big when he found a gold nugget big enough to choke his horse. He made fast money, invested it in a cattle ranch, and had been getting richer by the day.
His quick success was one of the reason’s the man thought he could do what he pleased. Money had that effect on some people.
By the time they made it to the house, Ben was already there, waiting for them on the porch with a smug look on his face. His arms were crossed over his chest, three of his hired hands standing slightly off to one side.
He acknowledged them with a nod of his head. “Well, what do I owe the pleasure?” he said, eyeing all three of them before locking eyes with Rafe. He grinned and Rafe knew he was remembering the scene from the creek the week before.
“Ben,” Holden said, nodding back in way of greeting. “Seems the creek was dammed up. You know anything about that?”
Ben’s eyes widened as if shocked by the knowledge but Rafe could tell by the glint in his eye he wasn’t surprised. “I’ve not had any trouble with the water. Where abouts was it dammed up?”
Holden turned his head to look at the three men flanking Ben before saying, “Where it forks off to my place.”
“Well, that’s mighty peculiar,” Ben said. He looked to his men. “You boys know anything about that?”
No one did, of course, and the conversation was about as fruitful as Rafe thought it would be.
It wasn’t a secret Ben wanted what the Avery’s had. He w
anted to be known as the largest, richest rancher in all of Montana. At the moment, the Avery’s held that title and Rafe was sure it galled Ben to know it.
Blocking off the water source to the Avery ranch could have devastating results. The water was the life-force of any spread. Without it, the animals and crops would suffer. Ben damming the creek up gave Rafe a small clue as to why Ben was after his place so badly. If he had control of his ranch, he’d be free to do as he pleased with the water supply and taking his herd was just one small step in gaining his place.
The conversation grew heated, threats made on both sides, and Rafe was deep in thought when he heard his name mentioned. He snapped out of his musing and focused back on the conversation.
“Those cows wandered on to my place,” Ben was saying. “Not my fault they can’t keep their fences up.”
Holden’s horse danced under him, his agitation probably felt by the animal. “The fencing looked fine to me on the way over. Well, except for a small section that looked cut.” He glanced to Colt, then Rafe, before looking back at Ben. “We’ll be taking another look at your herd, Ben, and if I see a Samuel’s brand on any of them, we’ll be sure to guide them back across the pasture where they belong.”
Ben’s face turned red, his nostrils flaring as his fingers curled into his hands to make fists. “Now you wait just a minute there, Holden. You can’t come over here and start taking my property. Your brother might be the local lawman around here but I’ll have you arrested if you try to take even one of those cows off my land.”
“Then I suggest you have one of your men ride to town and fetch Morgan for you. If we see a Samuels brand, we’re taking them.”
Holden turned as if to ride away and Colt and Rafe followed, but they all three stopped when Ben shouted, “The whole Samuels place is mine.” The three of them rounded to face Ben again.
Rafe leaned forward in his saddle, crossing his hands on the pommel. “And just how do you figure that?”
Ben raised his chin, a smug look crossing his face. “Harland signed it over to me on his deathbed. Only reason I ain’t took it from you is because I’m not so cruel as to throw you and your brother out with no place to go.”
Rafe’s blood raced through his veins at the thought. “My pa would have never given you that land, Ben. I have his will and no where does it say he left control to you.”
Ben stuttered, his eyes bulging. “You calling me a liar, boy?”
Boy? Rafe scoffed at the moniker. He was no more a boy than Ben was. “I reckon I am.” He straightened his spine and looked Ben in the eye. “The land belongs to us, Ben, and hell will freeze over before I let you take it. As for the cattle, I’ll be taking every one I see that belongs to me and if I see one of your men on my property, I’ll shoot him off his horse.”
Ben jumped to the ground, raised his arm and started shouting, his finger pointed in Rafe’s direction. “That land is mine, Rafe. Your pa and I signed a gentleman’s agreement when you didn’t come back and I can prove he did. Your pa was worried about Jesse. It’s why he did what he did. He wanted to make sure the kid was taken care of and he knew I could handle your herd better than a mere boy could.”
Rafe’s head started pounding as Ben’s yelling grew. He’d heard this story time and again, the same tired excuse’s spouted in varying degrees of hostility but the word, “proof,” caused Rafe to jerk his head up. He stared at Ben and narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean you have proof?”
Ben stuttered again, his eyes widening again before stood to his full height. “What?”
“You said you could prove he did. Let’s see your proof.”
“Well,” Ben said, “Your pa gave me his word.”
Colt leaned forward in his saddle. “A verbal agreement won’t hold up in court, Ben, and you know it.”
Ben looked to each of them, his mouth opening like a fish out of water. “I got proof,” he said. He swallowed, his throat moving with the action. “The agreement was written and signed by us both.”
Rafe’s stomach flipped over itself. He stared at Ben, his whole world tilting on its axis. “You’ve never said a thing about having written proof.”
Ben seemed to grow three inches then, his spine lengthening as he stood even taller. A smug sneer curved his lips as he met his gaze. “Of course I haven’t said anything. You think I want to take a chance someone would come looking for it and try to take the property for themselves? I’m not so careless as to leave something so valuable just lying around and then go spoutin’ off my mouth about it.”
He turned and walked back to the porch, jumping onto it and turning back to face them. “I can take your property anytime I wish, Rafe. I’m just waiting for the right moment to do so.” He grinned and cocked his head to one side. “You think that pretty little lady you got living with you will fancy me when she finds out I’m the richest man in all of Montana?”
Rafe knew Ben was trying to goad him into a fight the moment he brought up Grace’s name and it took everything in him not to take the bait. He bit his tongue and listened to Ben make plans for himself and Grace and clenched the saddle horn so tight he was surprised the thing didn’t break off in his hand.
Colt shook his head and turned, gaining Holden’s attention and motioned for Rafe to follow. The Avery men started back toward the pasture but Rafe couldn’t make himself do the same. He waited for Ben to stop talking then he sat there, staring at the man until Ben looked restless, his weight shifting from one foot to the next. When Ben narrowed his eyes and yelled, “what?,” Rafe smiled. “I catch you so much as looking in Grace’s direction, Ben, Morgan will be hauling your worthless hide to the undertaker in Missoula.”
Ben’s face reddened again. “You threatening me?”
Rafe pulled on the horses reins, turning the animal back toward the pasture. “No,” he said. “I’m making you a promise.” He spurred the horse into a gallop and met up with Holden and Colt. They were already rounding up his cattle, herding them toward the back of the pasture. Rafe’s blood was pounding past his ears and he half expected to feel a bullet in his back at any moment.
Ben let them be for whatever reason and the Avery men helped get his cattle back on Samuels land. They’d missed some, as the herd still wasn’t as large as it should have been, but he figured having most of them was better than none.
Colt led them through the downed fence and waited until the herd was through before he nodded in Holden’s direction and turned, setting off in a fast pace. Rafe watched him leave before turning a curious look toward Holden.
His one-time friend smiled and nodded toward the herd. “Colt’s gone to get a few of our ranch hands. They’ll come ride the fence line and shore up anything they see.” He removed his hat, ran a hand through his hair and put the worn leather back on his head. “If you want, we can take the herd back to Avery land for you. You’ll have a hard time keeping an eye on them alone when the snows come.”
Rafe didn’t disagree. He’d already been thinking of it. Even with the smaller herd he would have had a hard time tending them. With nearly all the herd back, it would be damn near impossible, especially with Jesse heading back to school. But asking Holden to do anything for him galled him to no end.
“She was worried about you.”
Holden’s quiet statement caused Rafe’s heart to skip a beat. He could tell by the look on the man’s face he was talking about Maggie. He watched Holden stare off into the distance as if seeing imagines of the past.
“She fretted for weeks after you’d left. Worried something would happen to you and she’d be the blame.” Holden turned his head to look at him. “She never meant to hurt you, Rafe. She cared about you.”
“But she loved you,” Rafe said, the knowledge still burning like acid in his lungs.
Holden didn’t reply. There wasn’t a need to. Maggie had loved Holden, not him, and it still hurt. In some small degree, ten years later, it still hurt.
They didn’t speak again until Colt and his r
anch hands returned. They spent the rest of the evening running the fence line, repairing the breaches they found and then herded the cattle to Avery land even though it killed him to do so. Regardless of his personal feelings where Holden was concerned, his old friend was right. He couldn’t tend the herd alone.
The moon was high above the mountain by the time Rafe made it back home. The house was quiet, everyone already in bed, and as much as he’d liked to have seen Grace, to talk to her, he needed time to think.
Ben’s claim to have proof his father had given him rights to the land still weighed on his mind and if the man were telling the truth, their future may be bleak. They’d be homeless if Ben has his way and there wasn’t enough money to start over. He could find work if it came down to it. If nothing else, he could swallow his pride and bunk with the Avery ranch hands, but that left Grace in the position of finding a husband who could support her. A man that wasn’t him.
The idea soured in his stomach. He closed his bedroom door, stared at nothing and wondered if telling her to just leave, to find someone else to marry, wasn’t the best option. His gut twisted at the mere thought.
He sighed, thumped his head back against the door and asked himself again what to do with her. An answer alluded him. When it came to Grace, it always did.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The day was dark and cloudy. It matched Grace’s mood. The atmosphere in the house had been gloomy for days, much like the weather.
Winter winds swept down from the mountain, frosting the air and every surface it touched. The mornings were cold, the nights brutal, and Grace took each day one at a time while contemplating her future in Willow Creek.
Thoughts of the new doctor plagued her mind. Abigail and Sarah had both said he was unmarried and would be a great match for her. She’d be able to move to town, live in the new building she’d seen being erected, but every time she thought of leaving the ranch, she had a sick knot form in her stomach. Leaving was the last thing she wanted to do but Rafe may give her no other choice.