The Rancher’s Bride Blessing

by Maya Stirling

  Noah felt as if he'd finally been let loose. Even though he knew it was all just a temporary moment of release, something that would pass, it still felt exciting and wondrous. God had brought him here. Had found him a refuge in this world. A place where he could truly be the kind of person God wanted him to be. Away from all harmful and damaging influence.

  There was something pure about this place, he told himself as the mustang continued to pound forward across the plain. This was surely where God had always intended him to be. Gratitude swelled in Noah's heart. God had brought him out of the darkness of the city, with all its questionable delights, and into the light of the frontier life.

  Up ahead, he saw a covered wagon trundling along the trail. Realizing it was his supplies, he slowed the pace of the mustang and headed for the wagon. Riding alongside it he recognized Tom, the son of the store owner. He was barely eighteen years of age, Noah guessed. A shock of blonde hair, ruddy cheeks and bright eyes gave the impression that Tom was an enthusiastic, energetic young man. Back in town, it had been agreed Tom would bring out the supplies. Looked like he was ahead of schedule.

  "Mr MacKendrick," Tom called out. "Hope I'm not too early for you."

  Noah drew his mount closer to the wagon. "No problem, Tom. It'll give me a chance to start arranging things around the ranch. The furniture is coming tomorrow."

  Tom's brows furrowed. "You don't even have a bed to sleep on, Mr MacKendrick?" he asked incredulously.

  Noah shook his head. "I figure it's best to buy my own things, Tom." Noah grinned. "Wouldn't want to be sleeping in a bed that belonged to someone else. Would you?"

  Tom thought about that for a moment and then grinned. "I sure wouldn't like that, Mr MacKendrick."

  "Call me Noah."

  "Noah it is," Tom replied and nodded, apparently pleased with Noah's friendly manner. "You got no cattle or ranch hands yet, Noah?" Tom asked.

  Noah shook his head. "I'm still figuring that one out, Tom. I reckon I'll be able to get what I need. Just might take a little time," he said.

  "Can't have a ranch without cattle and ranch hands," Tom declared, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  "I'll get there in the end, Tom," Noah announced confidently.

  Noah glanced down and saw a rifle settled in against the seat at Tom's side. "I see you travel prepared for trouble."

  Tom glanced down at the rifle and laid a hand on the wooden butt. "You never know when you need to take care of yourself, Mr MacKendrick," Tom announced.

  Noah didn't have a gun of his own. He hadn't taken care of that particular detail, yet. Had been too busy dealing with everything to do with the ranch. And with Miss Abigail Buchanan. He realized there was foolishness in not assuming he'd need to protect himself. This was a whole new country, as far as he was concerned. A place full of new dangers. Maybe, he'd have to think about getting one, he told himself. And learning how to shoot one.

  The wagon and Noah's horse crested a ridge. He looked down into the broad valley and saw his ranch house. He also saw something which made his chest tighten. In the yard, out in front of the house, Noah could see six horsemen drawing to a halt.

  Tom peered ahead. "Looks like you got visitors, Noah," he observed.

  "I'll see you at the ranch house, Tom," Noah said and prompted his mustang forward.

  Noah's mount thundered down the trail and sped into the yard. All of the six men had dismounted. They watched as Noah drew to a halt and got down off his mustang. The men, mostly aged in their twenties Noah guessed, were dressed in jeans and plain shirts, and each wore Stetsons. A casual glance told Noah that all the men looked like they were used to being outdoors. Sun-darkened skin betrayed years of labor. Each of the men was lean and muscular.

  Noah couldn't help noticing the guns holstered at their hips. A hard knot of worry twisted in Noah's middle.

  One of the men, older than the rest, was a tall, gray-haired man with narrow eyes and angular features. He stepped forward, moving with purposeful, confident ease and made his way toward Noah. The other men watched the man carefully.

  The man tipped his Stetson. "Afternoon," he said in a flat voice. "Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Mr Noah MacKendrick?" The man's voice had a gravely, rough quality to it. As if he'd spent too many years smoking tobacco.

  "I am Noah MacKendrick," Noah replied evenly. "And who might you be?"

  The man forced a smile. "Name's Earl Dolan," he stated. "I heard you were looking to take on some ranch hands."

  "Is that so?" Noah asked tentatively. "Where'd you hear that?"

  Dolan turned and gestured toward the men. "Rufus there heard from someone talking about it back in town."

  Noah saw the man he assumed was Rufus smile and nod. But he said nothing. Perhaps Rufus was under orders to leave the talking to Dolan, Noah told himself.

  Noah peered at Dolan. "And you and those men have experience?" Noah asked.

  Dolan grinned. "We sure do. Me and the boys have worked different spreads all through this territory these past few years." Dolan turned to the men. "Isn't that right, boys," he declared.

  The men nodded in perfect unison and groaned their agreement. "Whereabouts?" Noah asked.

  Dolan frowned momentarily, thought for a moment and then forced himself to smile again. "Here and there. Mainly out toward Helena. There's plenty of spreads out that way. Kept us busy for years."

  "So what are you all doing in Inspiration?" Noah asked.

  "We travel around as a team," Dolan explained. "We go where the work is."

  Noah nodded and sighed. He examined the faces. There was no way he could possibly know if the men were telling the truth. The fact they'd turned up out of the blue hardly made Noah feel any better about their sudden appearance at the ranch.

  From behind him, Noah heard the rattling of the wheels of Tom's wagon. The wagon came to a halt amidst a cloud of dust. Noah saw Tom's features darken as he fixed his gaze on the men gathered in the yard. Tom's hand dropped instinctively to the rifle. Noah glanced at Dolan. The man's gaze was trained on the wagon.

  Noah went to the wagon. "Let's start unloading, Tom," he told the young man. Facing away from the other men, Noah frowned up at Tom. He needed to send a signal to the young man that there wasn't going to be any trouble. Tom glanced past Noah and then looked back down, nodding his head once. Tom's hand drifted away from the rifle and he leaped down from the wagon's seat. As Tom headed around to the back of the wagon, Noah walked back to Dolan.

  "Your offer interests me, Mr Dolan," Noah said.

  Dolan's brows lifted. "That's good news, Mr MacKendrick," he started to say, but Noah cut him off with a raised hand.

  "However, I still have some business to attend to." He ran his gaze around the assorted buildings. "There's plenty to keep me busy for a day or two around here." He peered at Dolan and at his men. "I'm sure you all understand."

  For a moment, Dolan seemed unsure how to respond. His mouth turned down and he shifted on his heels.

  "You say you and your men are settled in town, for the moment?" Noah asked.

  Dolan nodded. "We got some temporary accommodation," he said. "Courtesy of a friend."

  "I'm pleased to here that," Noah replied, making a guess as to who the friendly person might be. Or who they might be connected to.

  Noah stretched out a hand. "I'll be in touch," he stated.

  Dolan shook Noah's hand and then turned to his men. "Let's go, boys."

  All six mounted up and rode out of the yard. Tom came to Noah's side. "I didn't like the look of them, Mr MacKendrick."

  "Neither did I, Tom," Noah said. "But it just reminds me of something real important."

  Tom glanced at Noah. "What's that?"

  Noah drew in a deep breath. "If I'm going to get this ranch up and running soon, then I'm going to need all the help I can get."

  CHAPTER NINE

  "Noah's here," Grace exclaimed as she was looking out the kitchen window of the ranch house. Abigail put down
the knife she was using to cut some potatoes and wiped her hands on her floral-patterned apron. She thrust her head close to the window and saw that Grace was right.

  "He came early," Abigail exclaimed. "I'm not ready," she complained.

  "Maybe he got his time mixed up," Grace suggested, still watching through the window. "Maybe folks back East are used to eating dinner earlier than we are."

  Abigail untied the apron and threw it onto a chair next to the kitchen table. "Where's mama?" Abigail asked.

  Grace craned her neck. "She's coming out onto the porch," she said. "Looks like she wants to welcome Noah personally."

  Abigail gasped. "I need to get out there," she muttered.

  She strode briskly out to the hallway. Quickly checking herself in the mirror, and not liking what she saw, Abigail straightened and drew in a deep breath. She was wearing one of her finest gowns. All through helping with the food preparations, she'd been careful not to get any marks on it. And she'd succeeded. The green gown with similarly-colored ruffles seemed somehow too modest, she told herself. Grace had spent some time on Abigail's hair, fashioning the blonde curls into a delicate knot which settled around the back of her neck.

  She wondered what he would say when he saw her. Would he notice she had made a special effort to look different than yesterday? To make sure she didn't look like his idea of a young woman who lived on a ranch.

  Abigail speculated about what she was going to say to him. Their conversation yesterday had left so many questions unanswered. It had awakened an even greater curiosity about her handsome new neighbor.

  The fact he had kept his promise to come for dinner, encouraged her. She was sure she had told him that dinner was usually at seven at the ranch. Maybe he was only being polite, again. Turning up on time to make a good impression.

  Abigail stepped out onto the porch. The early evening sun was soft and there was a cool breeze drifting in from the rangeland. She saw Noah, perched atop a beautiful brown mustang. He was neatly dressed in a long gray coat and a pair of light brown pants. His boots rose to calf level. And they weren't the kind of boots she'd normally see on a ranch. They were more suited to the salons of an upper class Eastern residence.

  Seeing him there like that, made emotion stir in Abigail. She felt her breath catch in her chest. And, for a moment, she struggled to hide her reaction to seeing him again. She'd been thinking about this moment for most of the day. She'd believed that, when he arrived, she would be polite and courteous. That the sight of him wouldn't affect her in any way whatsoever. But it couldn't have been further from the truth. Abigail forced herself to stand stock still.

  Matilda was standing in the yard, watching Noah bringing his mustang to a halt. Matilda turned and smiled at Abigail. From behind Abigail, Jake emerged with Grace not far behind. The whole family had come to greet their new neighbor.

  Noah dismounted and tied his horse against the hitching rail next to the porch. For a moment, he looked unsure about how to do that. As if he was still learning even the most basic things about life out here. He fussed for a few moments with the reins, seemingly doubtful about whether the knot would stay tied. Finally, he let it hang loose and turned to them.

  He strode up to Matilda and then did something which drew a quiet shriek of delight from Grace. Noah bowed to Abigail's mother and then lifted his head, fixing her with a steady look. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Mrs Buchanan," Noah said in a grand-sounding voice. He glanced toward Abigail, Jake and Grace. "And to meet your fine family."

  Matilda advanced toward Noah. She stretched out a hand. Noah took the hand and lifted it, touching his lips briefly against the back of Matilda's hand. Once again, Abigail heard Grace draw in a sharp breath.

  "He's just being polite," Jake murmured under his breath. "Comes natural to folks like him, I guess," he added.

  Abigail dug an elbow into Jake's side. He grunted and frowned at Abigail. "What was that for, sis?" he demanded quietly.

  "Behave yourself," Abigail snapped.

  Abigail heard Matilda murmur something to Noah, but she couldn't make out what her mother had said to their guest. Then Noah came over to them, with Matilda at his side. He looked so fine in clothes which he'd obviously brought with him from Philadelphia. Abigail had never seen anyone quite so elegant set foot on the ranch.

  Matilda introduced Grace and then Jake. Abigail's brother did the worst thing she could imagine. For a moment, Abigail knew what Jake was about to do. She'd seen him do it so many times in the past. But, she had no time to stop him.

  Jake thrust out his hand and, when he took hold Noah's hand, Abigail could tell Jake was probably giving it an extra hard squeeze. Just to test Noah. Unmoved by Jake's gesture, Noah simply looked her brother in the eye and smiled. Jake released Noah's hand and glanced sheepishly at Abigail. Seemed like Noah had passed Jake's test with flying colors.

  When Noah smiled at Abigail, she felt her face flush with heat. Now that he was so close, within touching distance, Abigail could see Noah had freshened up, specially for the visit. He'd shaved and his skin glowed with a freshness she hadn't seen the day before. His dark hair was tidily fixed. He looked relaxed. Calm.

  Noah took a step back and ran his gaze along the length of the ranch house. "Nice place you have here," he announced.

  "We like it," Matilda said. "It's got a homely feel about it." She smiled at all three of her children. "Isn't that right."

  All three of them nodded. "No place like it," Jake declared. "Maybe you'd like a tour."

  Abigail stepped closer to Noah. "Mr MacKendrick would probably like something cool to drink before we have our dinner," Abigail announced. She tilted her head up at Noah. "Isn't that right?"

  Noah's mouth opened and he glanced hesitantly at the four faces watching him intently. "I think that would be very pleasant, Miss Buchanan."

  Abigail was sure she saw the corner of her mother's mouth crease slightly with an approving smile. Perhaps, like Abigail, her mother didn't really want to leave Noah in Jake's clutches. At least not this early in the evening. The last thing Abigail wanted was for Jake to say anything which would trouble Noah, or even create an unfavorable impression of her family. There were times when Jake could be a little impulsive. Tact and diplomacy weren't exactly his strong points.

  As they were about to make their way into the house, Abigail heard the rumble of carriage wheels. She glanced in the direction of the entrance arch and saw a familiar sight. Her uncle Caleb and her aunt Eugenie. Their carriage drew to a halt with a creaking of wheels and a huge puff of dust. Caleb got down from the seat and dusted himself off. Caleb was dressed in a gray suit, the same one he always wore to gatherings, Abigail noticed.

  He reached up and helped Eugenie down. Abigail's aunt smiled at them as she stepped down. Then she ran a hand across her tied-back silver hair and straightened the collar of her pale blue gown. Aunt Eugenie always looked so elegant and refined, Abigail reflected.

  Matilda walked toward them. "Mr MacKendrick. I'd like you to meet my brother-in-law, Caleb. And his wife Eugenie."

  Caleb strode forward. "At last!" he exclaimed. Abigail saw Noah's brows rise sharply. "The new owner of the Double T," Caleb added. Caleb's face glowed with positive good-humor. "Pleased to meet you, Mr MacKendrick. That's a fine spread you got yourself over there," Caleb exclaimed.

  He thrust out a hand and shook Noah's with an exaggerated enthusiasm. What was it with Buchanan men and these handshakes, Abigail asked herself peering aghast at the sight of Noah's arm almost being ripped from its socket.

  Noah greeted Eugenie with the same grace he'd bestowed on Matilda. He certainly knew how to make a good impression, Abigail told herself.