The Montana Rancher's Bride (New Montana Brides)

by Susan Leigh Carlton

  “It is more beautiful here than you described,” she said.

  He took her hands in his and looked into the dark blue pools that were her eyes. He felt the tingle again. He must have twitched because Carrie stepped back. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing’s wrong, but both times I’ve touched your hands, I feel a shock. Carrie, will you be my wife? I want to be with you for the rest of forever.”

  “Yes, I will be your wife. You are all I hoped you would be.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed herself against him. She tilted her head back to accept the kiss her husband to be was about to offer.

  Case was not experienced in the art of kissing, but he managed. Hand in hand, they turned around and went back to inform their friends.

  Letty pushed the curtains back in place, after watching the couple. “It’s going to work,” she said happily. Her husband smiled. He liked it when his wife was happy and she was happy now.

  “Carrie has agreed to become my wife,” Case announced when they re-entered the house. “Jack, we would like for you to perform the service.”

  “I look forward to it,” Jack said. “I know you didn’t have time to make any plans, but I would guess you want to do it right away?”

  “Yes, we would,” they chorused.

  “You will need to get a license,” I could do it immediately after you do that.”

  Carrie looked at Case. “May I?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I would like to be married in church, if that’s all right with Case.”

  “It’s fine with me,” he said.

  “Okay,” Jack said, “Sunday it is. Case, I’m afraid you get the lumpy sofa tonight.”

  “I’ve slept on worse,” he said. “It’s softer than the ground. Tomorrow, we’ll get the license, and then I would like to show Carrie the Lazy J. I guess we’ll need a chaperone. Letty, will you do the honors?”

  “Of course, but is it really necessary? What do you think, Jack?”

  “You two are scandalous, you know that?” Case asked. “I am sure Carrie is more comfortable with waiting until Sunday.”

  “Oh, you’re sure of Carrie are you?” Carrie asked, playing along,

  “Case wasn’t certain whether he was being teased or not. He decided he was, and laughed. Jack and Letty went to bed, leaving the two of them in the living room talking. Carrie asked Case if he wanted kids. He did. More than one?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “You need to write your family that you arrived safely and tell them we’ll be married on Sunday,” he said.

  “You’re right and I would like you to help. Let’s do that tonight, and we can get it mailed tomorrow morning. Carrie was doing the writing while Case was brainstorming. He made several suggestions,

  “Did you show her the letter from Letty?” Case nibbled her ear.

  She giggled. “She saw the letter, and liked it.

  ‘What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Nibbling your ear,” he said. “It tastes good too.”

  “Well, you better stop it. It is distracting me.

  She sat on his lap and said, “Now I can defend myself.”

  Sitting on his lap, parts of her body were brushing or pressed against him, and causing him physical distress. “Case, I want to be kissed.”

  He kissed her softly on the cheek. His arms were around her waist, hers around his neck. He cupped her chin with his hand, and pressed his lips to hers. Both were emitting little moans of satisfaction.

  “She said, “Now, one more, nose to nose and toes to toes kiss, and I’m going to bed.” She stood and moved comfortably into his arms, her head was tilted back. Waiting.

  chapter Twelve

  The First Real Kiss

  Those incredible blue eyes. They drew him in. As he looked into them, he tightened his arms around her waist. He leaned his head to touch the soft, tender lips. It was like touching a flame. The contact caused shivers to race down his spine. She parted her lips to allow him entry.

  When his tongue touched the tip of hers, she felt her knees wobble. She had been kissed before, but it had been a long time. She wanted this one, and responded eagerly. She pressed against him, feeling her nipples firm as they touched his chest. Purrs of delight came forth as she responded. This feels good. If this is a sign of what our marriage is going to be like, I can hardly wait.

  Carrie broke the kiss. “Whew, she said breathlessly. “Enough of that. If I’m not careful, I could get to like it. I had better toddle off to my room.”

  She retrieved a nightgown from her carpet bag, and began undressing. When she removed her chemise, she looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled at the image, and placed a hand under each firm breast. The nipples were erect. Desire raced through her to the core of her being. I made the right decision, its going to be good, she thought happily. She reached for the gown and pulled it over her head. She sat in front of the dresser and brushed her hair, counting the strokes.

  Pulling back the covers, she crawled into bed, sighed, and fell asleep, not stirring until the first hints of daylight peeked through the curtains.

  The best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time. Carrie yawned, and stretched. Out of bed, she pulled back the curtain and peeked out. It was daylight. She relieved herself in the chamber pot, thoughtfully provided by her hosts. She sat in front of the mirror, brushing the tangles from her hair. One… two… three, all the way to one hundred, a routine instilled by her mother, when she was a little girl. “A girl’s hair is her crowning glory.” was one of her mother’s old expressions. The routine reminded her she needed to write, telling them of her safe arrival. That can wait. Today, I’m going to get a marriage license and see my new home!

  She dressed and made her way to the kitchen, where she found everyone else was up and having a cup of coffee. The smell of baking bread filled the room. “Good morning, everyone. I’m embarrassed,” she said. “I feel like such a slug-a-bed. I slept like the dead.” She walked over to Case, who had stood when she came into the room. She raised to her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. His face colored.

  “Did I embarrass you?” she asked. “You will have to get used to that. I’m an affectionate, touchy person.”

  “I can certainly get used to that,” he said.

  “Case, I think you have a keeper here,” Jack said.

  “Amen to that,” echoed Letty.

  “Can I help with anything?” she asked Letty.

  I’m good, the biscuits are just about ready. It’s been some time since I’ve cooked for more than Jack. This is nice. What’s the agenda this morning?” she asked.

  “I thought we’d go to the clerk’s office and get a license, then stop in and introduce Carrie to Silas, Case said. “After that, I’d like to go to the ranch and let her see where she’s going to live for the rest of her life.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Carrie said. “Are you coming with us?” she asked Letty. “I’d love to have you.”

  “Why don’t you two just share this experience together? We’ll have plenty of time, when you get back. Why not stay at the ranch tonight, and we’ll see you at the services on Sunday.”

  “I don’t think that would be proper, do you?” Case asked.

  “It wouldn’t bother me,” Letty said. “I know you and feel I know Carrie well enough.” She looked at Jack with an impish grin. “Besides, what would be the harm?”

  “None I guess, and this will probably sound weird, but I want everything to be right, with no regrets,” Case said.

  After picking up the license, Carrie walked with Case to the general store. In the dim light, Carrie saw a man wearing an apron coming from behind some sacks of feed.

  Case did the honors. “Silas, this is Carrie Robbins. Carrie, Silas Farmer. We’re going to be married Sunday.”

  “Congratulations,” Silas said. He pumped Case’s hand. “So this is the lady you’ve been sending all those letters. Welcome to Helena, Miss Robbins. Y
ou’re marrying a mighty fine man. I knew him back when he could barely see over the counter.”

  “Please call me Carrie. I’m pleased to be here and equally glad to meet you. Montana is even prettier than he described. Everyone has told me how good he is. I already knew that from his letters.”

  “Why don’t you walk around the store to get an idea of the stock Silas carries? I remember you saying you sew, Silas will order something for you if you give him an idea of what you want. I’ll help load the things he’s gotten together for me, and then we’ll head to the ranch.

  On the way…

  “It is a nice store,” she said. “Considering everything has to be brought in by stage, or the Wells Fargo wagon, it is well stocked.”

  “Most of the ranchers grow what they eat, and the miners eat mostly beans, so the variety of food is not large, but he is beginning to add more canned stuff. Most of what I get here is ammunition and hardware, like nails, and tools.

  “Ready to go see the ranch? It’s about an hour’s ride if I don’t push it.”

  “I’m more than ready. I’m anxious,” she said.

  Forty-five minutes later, they passed under an arch over the trail. Burned into a board at the top of the arch was lettering that said “Lazy J Ranch”. The “J” was at a ninety degree angle to the rest of the letters. As they went under, Case said, “Pa made that sign and the two of us put it up. We’re now on Lazy J land.”

  “That didn’t take nearly as long as I thought,” Carrie said.

  “We’re not there yet,” Case laughed. We’re still about ten-fifteen minutes to the house.” He pointed ahead of them on the right. “There’s part of our herd. We don’t bring them together until roundup time. This way, we don’t overgraze the land.”

  Carrie looked in the direction he pointed. There were a lot of animals. “That’s a lot of cows,” she said.

  “Cattle,” Case said. “You milk cows, these are raised for sale as beef. We have several milk cows, but they are fenced, and come into the barn at night. The herd roams free until roundup.

  “Most cattlemen do as we do; they breed in the fall, and calve in the spring. The yearlings have all summer to fatten up for sale after the fall roundup. That’s probably more than you wanted to know, but you need to know about the operation.

  “You’ll be able to see the house and barns over that ridge yonder.” He pointed to a low ridge in the distance. Beyond the ridge, she could see the mountains rising from the ground to meet the sky. There were wooded areas scattered about.

  “We get enough lumber from the trees to satisfy our needs. Pa cut the trees and hauled them to the spot he picked out for the first ranch house. It’s used as a bunk house now. After things got going good, he built a new house for Mama. It’s a real pretty place. It is in a grove of trees, and on a hilltop in front of the ridge over there.”

  The trail rose in front of them and began to curve to the right. There’s the trees surrounding the house,” Case said. “They keep it from getting too hot in the summer and block off a lot of the snow in winter.”

  Ahead of them, Carrie could see a large, white, two-story house. There was a porch across the entire front. In back, and to the side, she could see several outbuildings.

  chapter Thirteen

  Welcome To Our Home

  As they neared the house, Carrie exclaimed, “It’s beautiful, and so big.”

  “Mama wanted a big family, so Papa built a large house. I was it. I guess I frightened them away from having anymore.”

  He brought the wagon to a stop between the barn and the house. In the corral beside the large barn, three cowboys were sitting on the fence, watching a fourth trying to stay atop a bucking bronco. The dust stirred up by the wagon caught their attention. One of the cowboys slid off the fence, and walked over to the wagon.

  “I’ll take care of the horses, boss,” he said.

  “Okay, Dusty, just a minute though. Hey, boys,” Case called out. “Come over here for a minute. I want you to meet someone.” Seeing Carrie, they all removed their hats and stood waiting. “Boys, this here’s Carrie Robbins. We’re getting married on Sunday. She’s going to be the mistress of the Lazy J.” He pointed to each of the hands and named them. “Luke,” he said to the man that appeared to be the oldest. “Carrie, this is Luke Haskins. He’s been on the Lazy J longer than I have. Luke helped me bury Ma and Pa after the Indian raid. He really runs the place. If you want something done, ask Luke and he will make it happen.”

  “Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” Luke said, twisting his hat between his fingers. “It’s about time we got a woman’s touch around here. We need somebody to keep a tight rein on Case.”

  “Thank you, Luke. I’m excited about being here.”

  “Come on in, Honey, I’ll show you the house. As he approached the door, he said, Mama always kept a vegetable garden over there. I haven’t done anything to it since…” He left the sentence unfinished.

  “What did you call me back there?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry. It just came out. I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said.

  “No, no, I liked it. It sounded nice.”

  They entered the large kitchen. There was a pump over a sink. Cabinets with a lot of counter space, and a green and white Franklin stove. A small, round table and four chairs occupied one corner. “The dining room is through those doors,” he said and pointed to two French doors.”

  They walked into another large room, with beautifully upholstered chairs, a davenport, and a fireplace. Above the fireplace was an oil painting of a couple; A beautiful, elegant woman, with a handsome man, the spitting image of Case, standing by the chair, his hand resting on her shoulder.

  “Your mother and father?” she asked.

  “Yes,” was all he said.

  “Mama and Papa’s bedroom is down this hall. Mine is upstairs. Do you want to see them?”

  “I’d like to. She had been surprised in the other rooms and was expecting a nice room.” It was. “Will this be our bedroom,” she asked.

  His face colored at the implication they would be sleeping together. In the same room. His mother and father’s room. In their bed. “Yes,” he said. “I suppose we will.”

  He led her up the stairs, and opened the door to one of the two rooms. “This is my room.” The tidiness surprised her.

  “You are a neat person,” she said.

  “Mama didn’t allow me downstairs until my room was straight.”

  “I think I would have liked your parents,” she said.

  “They were special. Mama was the kindest person you could ever meet. When the tornado ruined our house in Texas, she ran back in to get her Bible and some candles. While the tornado was overhead, I could see her lips moving. She was praying for our safety.

  “I know they would have liked you.”

  “That is the nicest thing you could have said.” Then she kissed him on the cheek.

  She followed him back down the stairs and out onto the front porch. A swing was at one end, along with two rocking chairs. At the other end was a small table and three chairs. Several flower pots were around the edge of the porch. The plants were brown and hung over the side.

  He took her hand as they went down the steps and around to the back. “The barn is just a barn,” he said.

  “I’ve never been in a barn,” she said.

  Inside, he pointed out the stalls of the horses and the milk cows. “The cook from the bunk house does the milking. He also gathers the eggs too.”

  “You are self-sufficient aren’t you?” she said.

  “We try to be. Are you about ready to head back to Helena? I’d like to make it back to town before dark.”

  She said, “I would really like to stay here, tonight, if you don’t mind. We will keep it all proper. I agree with what you said to Letty. I want everything to be as perfect as it has been already.”

  “If that’s what you want. Okay.”

  “If you have some paper, I would like to let
Mama and Papa know I arrived safely,” Carrie said.

  “Good idea. There’s a small room next to Mama and Pa’s be… our bedroom that is used as an office. I keep paper and stuff in there. I’ll show you.”

  The room contained a desk, two chairs, and a file. “You can write in here, and we can mail it when we go to town tomorrow.

  “Just so you know, I can hardly wait.”

  “You’re sweet,” she said. “If your ears burn, it’s because of the nice things I’ll be writing about you.”

  chapter fourteen

  I Arrived Safely

  Dear Mama and Papa,

  I arrived in Helena safely yesterday. It was a long, tiring, and dusty trip, but it was so worth it. The last three days were on a stagecoach.

  Case, the man I am going to marry, met the stage. We went to his church, where I met the pastor and his wife. You read the letter they wrote about Case. They are every bit as nice as they sounded in the letter.

  My future husband’s name is Case Jamison. We will be married in the church following services on Sunday. Today, we rode out to the Lazy J Ranch, which will be our home. Case’s father built it for his wife, after they moved from Texas to Montana. It is beautiful, and is a large house. I don’t know how large the ranch is but we rode for fifteen minutes on ranch property before we came to the house. The business of the ranch is to sell cattle, and Case has contracts with the Army and is the source for most of the beef eaten in Helena.

  Montana is incredibly beautiful, the house sits atop a ridge, and behind the ridge are mountains. They are snowcapped now.

  Helena is a young town, and according to Jack Owens, the pastor, it has a progressive school system.

  I want you both to know how much I love you and how much I appreciate what you have done for me. Please think kind thoughts of me.

  Your loving daughter,

  Carrie.