by Linda Bridey
He looked at Maureen and rose to embrace her. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll find her. She couldn’t have gotten far and someone has to know where she has gone.”
Maureen held Geoff close, taking comfort in his assurances. “Yes. You’re right. Please bring her back to us.”
“I will,” Geoff promised her. “No matter what it takes.”
Chapter Seven
The trip westward was one Tessa would never forget, not only because it was full of memorable sights and events, but also because she wrote about everything she experienced and people she encountered. She strove to get everything she could down on paper just as she saw it at that particular moment. Her fingers became sore, but she kept on writing anyway. One of her suitcases held nothing but paper and pencils. She hadn’t wanted to run out of writing materials before reaching her destination.
To ensure that didn’t happen, Tessa also bought more writing supplies whenever she could. She didn’t know whether supplies would be available in Dawson and she needed to keep as much in stock as possible. After Dean had made her aware of how remote his ranch and community were, Tessa realized that there were things that would not be as readily available as they had been in Pittsburgh.
Another reason she wrote so much was to quiet her nerves. She was leaving her home for the first time in her life to head into the unknown. Although exciting, it was also scary. Would she be welcomed? Was Dean as he seemed in his letters? What would his children think of her? It was highly possible they would be resentful or jealous of her and that would put a strain on any possible relationship she and Dean might have.
She hoped they would like each other and get along well. Despite not finding anyone to marry in Pittsburgh, she had always hoped to find a loving husband and raise a happy family. Tessa felt that, in going to Montana, she would have the opportunity to meet someone special and have just such a life.
“So, is she pretty?” Sadie asked. Her brown eyes shone with excitement at the possibility of meeting a genteel lady from a big city. She seemed more interested in that than the fact that she might marry her father.
Dean smiled. “I’m sure she is. She sounds like it. She’s tall and has blue eyes and dark hair and she’s, uh, slender.”
“What’s ‘slender’, Pa?” Jack wanted to know.
“It means not fat but not skinny. Just right,” Sadie said.
Jack nodded. “That’s good, I guess.”
“I reckon it is. So what do you think about her maybe marrying me someday?” Dean asked. He almost stumbled on the word “marrying”. He still wasn’t comfortable with that idea, but he was trying to get accustomed to it.
Sadie pondered that for a few moments. “I guess if she likes me and Jack, it’s all right.”
Jack, ever practical, said, “If she can cook and clean, fine with me. Oh, and sing. Can she sing, Pa?”
Dean laughed. “I don’t know if she can sing, son. I never asked her and she never said.”
Jack shrugged. “It’s okay. We can see when she gets here.”
“Ok. We’ll do that.”
“When is she getting here?” Sadie asked.
Dean mentally calculated the date of the letter he’d received, telling him when she’d left North Dakota. “She should be here in three days.”
Sadie clapped. “I can’t wait. I’m so excited!”
“I can tell,” Dean said.
“Me, too,” Jack said. “Can I have a snack?”
Dean ruffled Jack’s hair. “Yeah, you can have a snack. Aunt Lydia sent over some cookies.”
Jack ran off to the kitchen for the cookies. He was far more worried about them than he was the prospect of a strange woman entering their lives. Dean wished he had his son’s calm outlook about it.
The stage coach pulled up in front of the general store in Wolf Point, which also served as a stage depot. As she alighted from the coach, Tessa stretched, glad to be on solid ground, at least for a little while. The driver unloaded her belongings and sat them on the porch of the store. Tessa thanked him and gave him a tip, something she was used to doing in Pittsburgh. The rough-looking driver looked at the money she was handing him and then back at her as if to say, “Are you sure?”
Tessa smiled and said, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of your help in bringing me here.”
He smiled and took the money. “Thanks miss. You ever need to go anywhere again, let me know.”
“Of course,” Tessa said.
He mounted the coach, tipped his hat to her, and then drove away. Tessa gathered her belongings into a more orderly lineup and then entered the store. The elderly gent behind the counter came out from behind it and looked at her. “Well, you are a sight for sore eyes,” he said. “We don’t get many young ladies around here that look like you.”
Tessa smiled. “Thank you. You’re much too kind.”
“Nope. Just tellin’ the truth. So you’re that blue blood gal from the east, huh?” he said.
“I suppose I am. I see you’ve heard about me,” she said. She had expected that the people of the area would be curious about her.
“Hell, everyone around here’s heard about ya. It’s big doings, ya know. Besides which, Dean asked me to keep an eye on you when you got here. Said he’d be here today, so I expect him any time now. He keeps his word.”
Tessa was comforted by that fact. “I’m Theresa O’Connor,” she said, holding out a hand.
The store owner took it and shook it the same way a man’s hand would be shook. “Lance Long. Pleased to meet you.”
Tessa shook his hand firmly, knowing, from watching her father do the same thing over the years, that it was expected.
“Good shake. Can always tell a good person from the way they shake hands,” Lance said. “Good lookin’ and ya got good manners. If Dean doesn’t marry you, I will.”
Tessa laughed. “You’re such a flirt!” she accused. She was no stranger to flirting and could hold her own when it came to the oral dance between men and women.
“Flirt? Hell, I mean it!” Lance said. “Oh, pardon my language, miss.”
“Please think nothing of it. I’ve heard much worse,” Tessa said.
The sound of horses’ hooves and wagon wheels prevented any further conversation.
The buckboard wagon rattled around the last turn on the way to Long’s Mercantile. Dean and Marcus were running late because the front axle on his buggy had broken. He didn’t always use the buggy and didn’t realize that part of the axle had weakened. They’d hit a bad rut and it had snapped it the rest of the way.
They’d had to get the broken vehicle off the road and take the horses back to the ranch to get them hitched to the wagon. Dean had wanted to use the buggy because it would be more comfortable for Theresa. He and the kids were used to riding the buckboard but to someone who was used to riding along smooth streets, the dirt roads could be awfully hard on the rear end.
He was hoping that maybe the stage coach had been late and that they’d still get there ahead of Theresa. Dean’s hope for that died as they neared the store and saw a womanly figure out on the porch of the store.
“Wow, Dean, she’s a looker,” Marcus said as the wagon drew closer.
Dean didn’t need Marcus to tell him that. He drove the wagon automatically, but his senses were honed in on the beautiful woman watching them. Her dark hair was stylishly done. She looks like something out of a magazine, Dean thought. She looked fresh, despite the lengthy journey. She was smiling and, as they pulled up, Dean could see her teeth were white and nicely shaped.
Dean’s eyes roamed over her full bosom, slender waist, and slightly flaring hips. Her blue eyes smiled right along with her mouth and Dean saw her keen intelligence reflected in them. Her deep blue traveling suit was a little wrinkled and a trifle dusty, but on the whole, she looked as if she’d walked out of a dream.
Dean pulled the team to a stop and stepped down from the wagon. “You must be Th
eresa.”
She smiled broadly and came down from the wooden porch. “And you must be Dean,” she answered.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dean said. “How was your trip?”
“Exhilarating!” she announced. “There’s so much to see and learn about.”
Dean smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad to hear it. You may change your mind once you’re here for a while.”
Tessa tilted her head a little and asked, “Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
“What? No, of course not,” Dean said. Then he caught the devilish twinkle in her eyes. “You’re pullin’ my leg,” he said and grinned.
“I must be talented indeed to be able to do that from here,” Tessa joked. “I’m sorry. I must be more tired than I thought.”
Dean laughed. “Don’t be sorry. It’s good to see you have a sense of humor and that you’re not stuck up or anything.”
“Far from it or I wouldn’t be here, would I?” Tessa said.
Dean frowned. “What’s wrong with it here?”
Tessa rushed to apologize. “Nothing, of course! It’s beautiful here.”
It was Dean’s turn to laugh now. “I’m just joshin’ you.”
Tessa pretended to be offended. “You, Mr. Samuels, are a bad man, I think.”
“You have no idea,” Marcus said, speaking for the first time. “I’m Marcus, Dean’s younger brother.”
“Well, Marcus, I’m pleased to meet you. And please, call me Tessa. It’s my nickname and, frankly, I prefer it,” she replied.
“Very well, then, Tessa it is,” Marcus said, with a deep bow over her hand.
Tessa played along and gave him a deep curtsy, and Dean watched her graceful movements closely as she dipped and rose again. “What a gentleman you are,” she commented to Marcus.
Dean said, “More like full of bull crap.”
Marcus scowled at Dean and Tessa laughed. She could see that this was going to be a lot of fun. She sobered and looked at Dean, admiring his fine physique. His shoulders were broad and his chest well-muscled. As his letters had said, he had strong arms, too.
“So, who are these beautiful animals?” she asked, referring to the pair of chestnut draft horses hitched to the wagon. She needed a distraction to keep from staring at Dean.
“This one is Buster and the other one is Nugget,” Dean answered.
Tessa moved to Buster’s side before Dean could warn her. Buster tended to be a little cantankerous around strangers, but he saw that he didn’t have to worry. Tessa whispered to Buster and he watched the big gelding’s ears flick back and forth. She didn’t touch him, but held a flat palm out and let him sniff it. Slowly then, she raised her hand and lightly stroked his neck.
The whole time, she kept whispering to him. Once he’d gotten her scent, Tessa stroked the pretty white blaze enjoying the soft hair and velvety skin of Buster’s muzzle. The horse seemed hypnotized by the treatment and lowered his head to her. Tessa slipped up close to him and embraced his neck briefly.
She then repeated the process with Nugget, who was much friendlier and more mischievous. Tessa laughed softly when he wanted to nibble at a bow on her jacket. She quietly disciplined him and Nugget behaved.
“They’re splendid,” she said as she turned back to the men.
Dean had been watching raptly and found he was jealous of the horses. Her pretty hands stroking their coats made his male flesh remember what it was like to feel a woman’s touch. He shifted his feet a little and cleared his throat.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to delay our departure. I adore horses and can’t stay away from them. However, I’m dying to see your ranch and meet everyone,” she said.
“I didn’t mind at all,” Dean said. “We’ll get your things loaded and get underway. I’m sure you’d like to get settled in and rest a little.”
“Yes, that would be lovely,” Tessa agreed.
Dean and Marcus moved her belongings to the wagon and they headed out.
Chapter Eight
Tessa was thankful to Dean for thinking to place a thick folded blanket on the wooden seat of the buckboard wagon. The going was rougher than she was used to and her bottom kept smacking against the seat. Her rear was beginning to get sore. She could imagine how much worse it would have been if there had been no blanket.
As they rode, she kept sneaking looks at Dean and found him quite attractive. His blond hair was disheveled from the wind and his jaw was beginning to show stubble. He was tanned and muscular and filled out his clothes in a way that the men she knew didn’t. Tessa smiled to herself, thinking that Edwina would certainly be jealous when she wrote her and told her that Dean was incredibly handsome and virile.
She’d been charmed by Marcus and had pegged him a likable troublemaker. She wondered from which parent each of the brothers got their looks. Outside of the shape of their jaws, there wasn’t much resemblance between them. Marcus’s jet black hair and gray eyes were far removed from Dean’s golden locks and vivid blue eyes.
Dean looked down at Tessa and her stomach did a little flip. His gaze did things to her that she hadn’t expected so soon. She thought she saw the same thing flicker in his eyes, but couldn’t be sure.
“See that big maple tree over there?” he said.
Tessa looked where he indicated. “Yes.”
“That’s the start of our land,” Dean told her with pride. “Those steer you see are some of our finest cattle.”
Tessa took a small notebook from her reticule and began looking around with interest and writing down her observations. Dean watched with curiosity, remembering Tessa had told him that she was working on improving her creative writing skills. “What are you writing?” he asked.
“I’m writing in detail about how everything looks and how it makes me feel,” she responded.
Dean arched an eyebrow at that. “How it makes you feel?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
Tessa didn’t look at him, but responded as she wrote on. “I mean how what I see and hear and smell makes me feel.”
“I don’t get it.”
She looked at him then. “Look at the steer.”
Dean did. “Ok.”
“How do you feel when you look at them? You just told me that they are fine animals,” Tessa said.
Dean looked into her deep blue eyes looking at him so eagerly and he wanted to please her. He thought about it carefully. “Proud, I guess. It took a lot of hard work to breed such good stock.”
“Yes! Proud! And you should be. I’ve seen some steer back east and I don’t think they’re as nice as these. Look at how strong their shoulders are and sleek and healthy their coats are!” Tessa was still writing as she talked. After a minute, though, she put away her notebook and pencil.
Marcus leaned up from the wagon box. “Someday, I’d love to read some of your observations.”
Tessa turned to him. “Really? Do you enjoy reading?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s always reading. You’ll have to go to his house sometime. There are more books than anything else in it. I’m surprised he doesn’t just sleep on them,” Dean said.
Marcus smiled. “It’s true.”
“When I get them more polished, I would certainly welcome your insight. In fact, you are both welcome to read them,” Tessa said.
Dean said, “I’d like that. I really enjoyed your letters, so I can just imagine what your other writing is like.”
Tessa was flattered. “Thank you,” she said with a smile and blushed.
“Pa! Pa! Is that her?”
Dean looked up and saw his children running toward them as fast as they could.
“Here we go. Prepare yourself. Both of them have been on pins and needles waiting for you to get here. We all have,” Dean told her.
Tessa looked in his eyes and saw that flicker of something unnamable. Then the children arrived and her attention became focuse
d on them.
“Hi! I’m Jack. Boy, you’re pretty. Can you cook? I like to eat,” Jack stated as he climbed on board the wagon and squeezed between Tessa and Dean.
“Mind your manners, Jack,” Dean said a little gruffly.
Jack barely gave his father a glance. “Ok. But can you?”
Tessa smiled down at him. He looked a lot like Dean. “Honestly, I haven’t had much chance, but I’m a quick learner. I’m Tessa and it’s very nice to finally meet you. I’m looking forward to becoming friends.”
Jack nodded. “Yeah, me, too. It’s ok if you can’t cook. I can’t either.”
Tessa smiled and then turned and looked down at Sadie. “And this pretty young lady must be Sadie,” she said.
Sadie blushed and smiled. “Thank you, ma’am. Pleased to meet you. Jack’s right; you’re beautiful and your clothes are so pretty.”
“Why, thank you,” Tessa said.
“C’mon, Sadie. I’ll help you up here,” Marcus said and held out an arm.
Sadie grabbed on and giggled as Marcus swung her up into the wagon. She came to stand behind Jack, holding on to the back of the wagon seat. “What’s Pittsburgh like?” Sadie asked as they drove beneath the arch that marked the entrance to their ranch.
Dean chuckled. “Sadie, let Tessa get settled and a little rested before asking so many questions. We’re all gonna have time to get to know each other, but it doesn’t all have to happen right now.”
“Ok, Pa. Sorry, Miss Theresa,” Sadie said respectfully.
“That’s quite all right. I promise I’ll tell you anything you want to know. And I have a lot of questions of my own. Oh, and please call me Tessa,” she said.
“Tessa?” Sadie said.
“It’s my nickname,” Tessa informed her.
Dean pulled the team to a stop in front of the house. “Ok. Here we are.”