His Brother's Wife

by Lily Graison

  They never came back.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Grace pocketed the key to her hotel room and walked back out onto the sidewalk. Doctor Reid had been stopped by two elderly ladies the moment they arrived so her trunks and bags were still on the back of his wagon.

  The day was cold, cloudy and dreary. It matched Grace’s mood. A dull headache throbbed by her right temple. It started when Jesse screamed at Rafe this morning and hadn’t let up yet. Thinking of the fight brought back all that had transpired over the last several weeks.

  She didn’t know how things had gone so wrong. She never imagined when she left Boston that her trip would turn out so disastrous. Oh, she’d had more than a few nightmares about the adventure. Nightmares of the unknown man she’d promised herself to, but thankfully those didn’t come to pass. Jesse Samuels may have been a child but he was far from the monster her dreams had conjured. What she hadn’t counted on was meeting, and falling in love with, her bridegrooms brother.

  That scenario had disaster written all over it.

  She sighed and leaned against the post holding the hotels roof up. The street was busy and Grace noticed a young woman headed their way. She’d never seen her before. Not that she knew many people in town but Abigail’s sewing circle seemed to be the social event of the month. She wondered why this young lady hadn’t been there.

  When she reached the hotel, she smiled at Grace and turned, waiting, apparently, for her turn to speak to Doctor Reid.

  Grace watched him too. Evan was handsome. Not so devastatingly handsome as Rafe but he was no way an eyesore. He was strongly built with wide shoulders. His dark hair had been cut short and he was clean shaven. He would do for a husband she supposed. He had a means to support her and any future children they had and he didn’t appear to be mean tempered. He wasn’t her first choice but Abigail and the other Avery women were right. If she couldn’t marry Rafe, Evan Reid would certainly do.

  He turned then as if he heard her thoughts and smiled, but soon frowned when he saw the young woman who stood on the sidewalk with her. “Melissa? What’s wrong?”

  Grace followed his gaze, staring at the woman who was now fidgeting at her side. “There’s a problem back at the house.”

  “What kind of problem?”

  The young woman glanced at Grace before closing the distance between herself and Evan, then leaned up on her toes and whispered in his ear. Grace raised an eyebrow at the action.

  Evan laughed and wrapped his arm around the woman’s shoulder, then turned to Grace. “I’ll be just a few moments, Grace. I need to get Melissa settled.” His eyes widened slightly before he smiled. “Forgive my manners. Melissa this is Grace Kingston.”

  Melissa smiled and nodded her head. “Melissa Reid. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  Grace’s heart gave one hard thump. Melissa Reid. Was the new doctor married after all? Frustration settled in as Evan and Melissa both turned and walked some distance away.

  “So much for that idea,” Grace mumbled to herself as she watched them. “Now what do I do?”

  Contemplating her circumstances was cut short by the appearance of Ben Crowley on the other side of the street. She turned, darting into the hotel, hoping he hadn’t seen her. She made it all the way to the stairs when he called her name. She sighed, one foot raised to make her escape.

  “Ben,” she said, after turning. “What can I do for you?”

  He smiled at her, his craggy face filled with some unknown delight. He tipped his hat at her and gave a courtly half-bow. “Good day, Ms. Kingston. You’re looking mighty fine if I may say.”

  Grace knew the instant he stopped speaking something was up. He looked too happy for there not to be. “Thank you, Mr. Crowley.”

  He looked around the lobby of the hotel and craned his neck, trying to peer into the dining room. “Are you having supper here in the hotel this evening?”

  Grace opened her mouth to answer him but thought better of it. If she answered his question, it invited conversation, and talking with this man was the last thing she wanted to do. “I’m sorry to be so abrupt, Mr. Crowley, but I have business I need to attend.” She turned, hoping he’d leave, and started up the stairs.

  “Where is Rafe and the kid? I have something to show them.” Something in his voice stopped her. Looking over her shoulder, she peered down at him. “And that would be?”

  He grinned, his eyes dancing with mischief as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket. “You know what this is?”

  Grace resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Of course not. How would I.”

  Ben chuckled. “This, my sweet lady, is the proof I’ve been waiting on!” He unfolded the paper, smoothing out the wrinkles. “This here is the letter Harland Samuels wrote giving me rights to his land and herd.” He looked up and smirked. “Rafe might think he still owns that land, but this here says he don’t.”

  It took Grace long moments before she could speak. She stared at the paper, the scribbling of words written across it, and had to hold onto the stair rail with both hands to keep from shaking. “Can I see it?” Her voice cracked as she spoke. She cleared her throat and tried to smile. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

  He took each step slowly, climbing the staircase toward her while his gaze bore into her own. When he reached her, he sneered and handed her the letter. “See, Ms. Kingston. That land is mine and I intend on taking it.”

  Grace read the letter, her heart in her throat. She had no idea if it was, in fact, written by Rafe and Jesse’s father but she hoped it wasn’t. If so, then what Ben had been claiming was true.

  Harland Samuels turned control of the ranch, and the livestock, over to Ben. She read the entire letter twice, memorizing what she could. Seems as if the wording Harland used could be taken several ways. In his concern for Jesse’s welfare, and in Rafe’s absence, he’d placed Ben as guardian of Jesse and gave him complete control of the property. She supposed Harland thought he was doing the right thing at the time.

  How wrong he was.

  She raised her head. “I’m sure if Harland had known Rafe would be coming home he would have never given you control of everything.”

  Ben shrugged his shoulders. “You’re probably right, Ms. Kingston, but he did.” He laughed again. “I can’t wait to see the look on Rafe’s face when he reads this. We’ll see how smug he is then.”

  Grace’s stomach tightened, her legs weakening until she thought she wouldn’t be able to stand. “You mean to take the ranch from them?”

  He looked shocked by her question. “Of course I do, woman. What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do since Rafe rolled back into town?” Taking the letter from her, Ben refolded it and stuck it back into his pocket. “Now, tell me, where are Rafe and Jesse? They here in town with you?”

  Dread filled Grace until she couldn’t breathe around it. She stared at Ben, at the pocket he’d stuffed Rafe and Jesse’s future in.

  What would happen to them if Ben took their ranch? Where would they go?

  She pictured their faces, saw them sitting around that old, battered kitchen table. A reluctant family who had no one but each other. As much as they fought, they were still all each of them had.

  Fear crawled up her spine, her stomach knotting until the pain was physical. The smug look on Ben’s face was nauseating and as much as she wanted to slap the sneer off his face, she knew a different sort of tactic was in order. It sickened her to even think it.

  She forced a smile onto her face and straightened her spine. “I’m here alone, Mr. Crowley.” She glanced toward the dining room. “I was about to have supper. Would you like to join me?”

  A slow smile curved his lips. His gaze lingered, then lowered to her breasts as they were practically in his face. When he looked up, she knew she had his attention. Now all she had to do was come up with a plan and hoped she could get that land back without selling her soul.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Jesse pushed t
he eggs in his plate around and glanced over at Rafe. Grace had been gone close to a week now and Rafe hadn’t said one word to him. Nothing. Hell, he barely looked at him or even acknowledged he was in the house.

  As much as he hated being told what to do, having someone in the same room with him and have them ignore him was as close to torture as he could think.

  He shoved another bite into his mouth, chewed it slowly and washed it down. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. “I saw Grace go into the mercantile when I was leaving school yesterday.”

  Rafe didn’t even flinch. He didn’t look up either.

  “She looked real pretty. Had that green and pink striped dress on. The one with the fancy hat with the bird nest.”

  His brother finally looked over at him but the scorn in his eyes caused Jesse to look away. Rafe stood then, his food barely touched, and tossed the plate into the sink, along with his coffee cup and grabbed his coat and hat, slipped them back on and walked out of the house.

  Jesse sighed.

  As much as he hated Rafe most days, and wished he’d never come back, having him act as if he wasn’t there hurt. He didn’t realize until the house grew quiet with Grace’s absence how much he enjoyed having her around.

  The house seemed cold now. As if the life had been snuffed right out of it. He missed the smell of roses that lingered in a room when she was there, too. And the taste of flapjacks and syrup in the morning. He missed clean clothes and having his room made up for him everyday.

  He missed having someone talk to him.

  Standing, Jesse cleared the table, scraping the plates into the bucket under the sink. He looked out the window and saw Rafe going toward the barn. He didn’t walk as tall as he used to, he noticed. He didn’t come inside much anymore either. He was always in the barn doing something, or out on the range alone, and it was dark before he came in at night.

  He supposed Rafe missed Grace as much as he did.

  The thought caused his pulse to race.

  Walking in and seeing them kissing had burned like acid in his gut. He’d spent days at the marshal’s house, trying to imagine how Grace was getting along and something told him Rafe was taking advantage of the situation. He’d been right too.

  He’d rode hell-bent to get home that night and his suspicions were confirmed. Seeing them two kissing like that….

  He shook his head.

  The anger resurfaced. He didn’t care who Grace married now as long as if wasn’t Rafe. His pa had claimed Rafe was a good man, just a bit lost, but Jesse never believed it. His brother was selfish for leaving the way he did. His pa died waiting on him to come back and he didn’t deserve a minute of happiness as far as he was concerned. He should be alone, miserable, and scared, just like he was when his pa up and died on him.

  Seeing Rafe exit the barn with his horse saddled, Jesse narrowed his eyes at him. Rafe probably did miss Grace and Jesse hoped it hurt like hell. It would do his brother good to have to live with the pain he had to endure for a change and if keeping him away from Grace was what it took, then so be it.

  Grabbing his coat and hat, he slipped them on, leaving through the backdoor. The school bell would ring soon and he still had chores to do. Rafe never asked him to do them anymore and most times, they were already done when he got around to them. He felt bad about it on occasion, but not today.

  He passed Rafe in the yard and glanced up at him. That stony expression was still on his face, his shoulders hunched as if the weight of the world was sitting on them. He looked up, met Jesse’s gaze and walked away without a word.

  Jesse watched him and wondered, if he truly cared for Grace like he said he did, then why hadn’t he tried to go see her yet.

  Rafe loaded the wagon with spare timber and wire and his box of tools and nails before walking back around to make sure the mule was good and cinched. He’d ridden nearly every inch of fence line around his property over the last week and noted a few places that needed shoring up. It would take him days to fix them alone but he didn’t mind. It took his mind off the things that plagued him when he closed his eyes at night.

  Grace’s image appeared in his mind’s eye moments before he heard Jesse yelling his name. Rafe looked up, startled, his brother riding hell bent into the yard. Rafe’s heart leaped into his throat. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but something was. The look on Jesse’s face told him that much.

  Rounding the mule, he hurried to the back of the wagon as Jesse slowed his horse and jumped to the ground, breathless.

  “Get your horse saddled. We gotta stop her.”

  Rafe tilted his head to one side. “Stop who?”

  “Grace,” Jesse yelled, jerking his hat off his head and slinging it to the ground. “She’s marrying Ben Crowley this afternoon. How the hell could she do that?”

  Jesse looked horrified at the prospect and to tell the truth, so was Rafe. It took him long seconds to get his heart out of his throat enough to speak. “I reckon because you told her to.”

  He turned, giving Jesse his back, his heart thumping against his ribcage, blood pounding against his eardrums hard enough he thought he’d go deaf as a result. His hands started shaking the moment Grace’s image entered his mind. He grabbed onto the edge of the wagon, steadying himself before climbing up into the seat, taking the mules reins into both hands.

  “I never told her to marry, Ben,” Jesse said, his voice squeaking as he yelled.

  “Maybe not in so many words.” Rafe met his brother’s gaze. “But if I’m not mistaken, you told her to, ‘marry someone else in Willow Creek or go back to Boston.’” Jesse’s face turned a funny shade of pink before he looked away. Rafe’s hold on the reins tightened. “Seems to me she did what you told her to. She found someone to marry.” He snorted a laugh. “Someone not me.”

  With that, he flicked the reins, urged the mule into moving, and pushed him faster than he should have in an attempt to get as far from Jesse, the ranch house, and thoughts of Grace, as he could.

  No matter how far away he got, Grace’s image chased him while that voice in the back of his head screamed and raged, asking how she could do such a thing. How she could agree to marry Ben Crowley of all people. She knew the animosity between them. Knew what a bastard he was, so how could she? Why would she?

  Because you let a fourteen year old boy manipulate you into letting her go without a fight.

  Because you were too scared to risk your heart again and ask her to marry you when you had the chance, damn the consequences.

  Rafe pulled on the reins, yelled “whoa,” and got the mule to stop. He stared out across the valley, watching the sun glint off the creek in the distance, his heart racing while the words, “Grace was marrying Ben,” whispered inside his mind on repeat.

  Just the thought sickened him but it angered him more. How did this happen? Why would she ever agree to a marriage proposal from that man?

  The questions keep coming, layers upon layers of them until the sound inside his head was so loud he couldn’t think past it. He yelled, kicked the footboard of the wagon until it cracked and screamed out his frustration until the mule danced, startled by his outburst.

  When his lungs ached, his eyes burning, he clenched his fists, stared at his whitened knuckles until he thought his bones would burst from his skin. Anger welled hot in his veins, burned in his gut until he couldn’t breath as her image kept flashing before his eyes.

  “Grace. How could you?” he muttered.

  Because you didn’t give her another option.

  Flicking the reins, he yelled, got the wagon turned and was headed back to the house at a fast clip. Jesse was still pacing the yard and stared at him in wide-eyed dismay when he raced back to the barn. The moment the wagon rolled to a stop, Rafe jumped to the ground, unhooked the animal and led him inside. Jesse followed him in without a word.

  When the mule was seen to, Rafe saddled his gelding, then grabbed the bridle. He turned his head to Jesse as he got the animal ready to ride. “I’
m only going to say this once, Jesse, so listen carefully.” He lead the horse outside and climbed into the saddle when he was sure the gear was on right. “I’m going to get Grace and stop this wedding.” Jesse smiled and Rafe looked him hard in the eyes. “Don’t look too happy, yet, little brother.” He grabbed the horses reins and shifted in the saddle. “I’m going to marry her whether you like it or not, Jesse, and don’t you dare try to pitch some hellish fit over it because I’ll bend you over my knee and blister your hide regardless of who is looking. Is that clear?”

  Jesse clenched his jaw, glared at him for long moments before nodding his head once. Rafe considered that answer enough.

  Grace sighed while looking out her hotel window. Her attention hadn’t strayed from the schoolhouse in the past half hour. Preparations were underway and had been all morning.

  Flowers and ribbons were carried into the small school now that the children had headed home, tables and chairs were being set up in the stagecoach station for a party afterwards, and all the festivities were being seen to by Ben himself. Grace sighed again when she looked at him as he shouted some direction and pointed toward the other end of town.

  “What have I done?” The answer didn’t come even though she’d asked herself that very thing for the last three days.

  She turned from the window and caught sight of her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. She stared at herself, the dress she’d picked for the occasion, and wondered if anyone would think anything about her dark, royal blue dress. She’s already sold the black one. The blue was all she had left to reflect her mood.

  Her wedding was nothing like she thought it would be. She’d always imagined a church wedding, in spring maybe, with fresh flowers woven into her hair. A dress of pure white, just like the one Queen Victoria had worn at her own wedding and her groom would be handsome in his best suit, his eyes filled with love as he watched her.