“Afternoon, folks.” The man’s hands were stuffed deep in the pockets of his baggy overalls and he wore a wool cap over tufts of white hair, though the temperature was mild. “My name’s Albert if you have any questions. There’s furniture for sale inside if that’s what you’re looking for.” He nodded at the door to the house. “Everything’s marked with price stickers.”
“Thank you,” Beth said, glancing around at the folding tables covered with tools, Christmas decorations, small appliances and knickknacks that were being ruthlessly pawed through by a middle-aged woman with a small child tugging on her shirt. “I would love to see the furniture, if you don’t mind.”
“’Course I don’t. I can’t sell anything I’m not willing to show, now, can I?” The old-timer’s faded blue eyes lit with humor. “You go right on in. I’ll check with you in a minute.”
“Nathan?” She glanced back at him. “Do you want to come? If not, it’s okay.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Albert grinned at him. “You have a real pretty wife, son,” he said in a hushed voice. “She’s got a good aura around her. That comes from a kind heart.”
At first Nathan thought he’d misheard, realized he hadn’t and held in a laugh. Albert in his farmer’s overalls and the word aura were hard to reconcile. “Yes, she does.”
Beth had already disappeared inside, and Nathan found her in a small living room crowded with an odd mix of antique tables and cheap department-store chairs, with a lifetime of framed memories hanging on the walls. Crouching to examine what looked to be a hand-carved oak table, she slowly skimmed her palm over the smooth wood with the reverence it deserved.
Even from where he stood, he could tell it was a fine piece. Probably passed down through the generations. He doubted it was for sale, though who knew why people wanted to let things go.
Beth looked up. “It has a sticker,” she said with quiet awe. “And it’s priced too low. I don’t understand why he’s selling this table at all.”
Her troubled gaze flicked to the other side of the faded orange couch. “That one, too. They’re both antique, right? We have to tell him. I can’t imagine anyone being willing to part with these.”
This wasn’t the first time she’d surprised him today. He would’ve guessed her taste to be more sophisticated. But it was the older handcrafted items that drew her.
He offered her a hand as she rose. “He might need the money, or maybe he’s moving,” Nathan said, then noticed the bronze urn sitting on the mantel. “Or maybe his wife passed away....”
Beth met his gaze.
Voices carried from the back of the house and they both turned toward the narrow hall.
“Got more furniture in the bedrooms.” Albert appeared from the opposite direction. “Some folks are back there now.” His gaze dropped to the table Beth had been admiring, and he gave her an approving smile. “I figured that might interest you.”
She blinked in surprise. “Um, Albert—”
The voices were coming toward them.
Nathan put an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll take both tables,” he said, and the old man nodded as if he’d already known it was a done deal.
“But, Nathan—”
He gave her a squeeze and lightly kissed her lips. She frowned, but he saw in her eyes that she’d gotten the message.
“Go have a look in the back,” Albert said, carefully peeling off a sticker, a hand tremor making the task difficult. “My Ida, may God rest her soul, her great granddad carved both headboards out of cherry. Took him four winters, the way I heard it.”
“Thank you.” Nathan drew her toward the hall, then stepped aside to allow the young couple with the loud voices to pass.
After exchanging nods and smiles, Nathan took Beth’s hand and led her to the first open door.
“We’re shopping for something more modern,” they heard the woman tell Albert. “But thanks for letting us look.”
The moment they entered the room, Beth started to say something but was distracted by the headboard. It was a beauty.
The intricate patterns had required a patient hand.
“This is stunning.” Beth moved in for a closer inspection. She traced two evenly matched scrolls with her fingertips.
“My parents inherited several handmade pieces from my mom’s family. Some really nice stuff,” Nathan said. “But this work is in a class by itself.”
“That’s why—” she glanced at the door and lowered her voice “—I can’t buy any of this furniture, and we have to convince him to not sell it to anyone else.”
Nathan hated the misery in her face. “He’s a grown man.”
“You heard him, he lost his wife. Maybe he’s still grieving. These are family heirlooms. Later he’ll regret selling things she cared about. You of all people should understand.” She paused and stared down at the floor. “I hope that didn’t sound insensitive.”
“Not at all.” Nathan put his hands on her shoulders and waited for her to look at him. “I’ve left the house the way it is out of indifference. That’s it.”
Confusion darkened Beth’s eyes. He could see it was past time for them to have a talk. But it wouldn’t be here. “People mourn and react in many different ways and for reasons most folks will never understand.”
Beth slowly nodded. “What if he’s a bit senile? He might have children. I wonder if they know what he’s doing.”
“He seems to have his wits about him.” Nathan massaged her tense shoulders while she bit at her lip. “Beth.” He nudged her chin up. “Sweetheart, you need to leave this alone.”
“If it’s about money, I could pay him the sticker price and leave the tables as a gift....”
“And rob the man of his dignity?”
Her lips parted with a soft sound of distress.
Nathan sighed and rubbed his hands down her arms. “Tell you what...we’ll let him know we think the prices are too low and we want to give him an amount we can live with. How’s that?”
She didn’t seem convinced that was the best solution but she finally nodded. “I’ll leave my phone number, too. In case he changes his mind.”
He agreed, though he was pretty sure that would never happen. “What about the headboard and nightstand?”
“No.” She stepped back, glaring at him as if he’d suggested stealing the furniture. “I feel horrible as it is.”
“All right. But remember, if not us, someone else could come in and offer him peanuts for everything.”
“True.” She gazed longingly at the headboard. “Honestly, I doubt I can squeeze much more out of my budget.”
“Let me buy them for you,” he said, and stopped talking when he saw fire in her narrowed gaze.
“And rob me of my dignity?”
“Jesus.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “Seriously? You’re going to use that?” He had to laugh, even though she obviously found no humor in the exchange.
“How are you folks doing?” Albert strolled in, hands tucked in his pockets again. “You make it to the other room yet?”
“I still haven’t recovered from this headboard,” Beth said. “Your furniture is stunning.”
“Let’s talk turkey, Albert,” Nathan said. “We want everything, tables, headboards, nightstands, and we’re willing to triple the price so we can sleep with a clear conscience.”
Albert chuckled.
Beth tugged on Nathan’s arm. “Excuse me, may I have a word with you in private?”
He ignored her. “I’ll have to give you a personal check, but we’d leave everything here until I bring a truck back. Though we could take the two tables with us now, if that’s not a problem.”
“None at all, so long as we can agree on the price. Heck, a fella showed up at the crack of dawn and offered me four times what I’m asking. I didn’t care for him at all. You write that check for what’s on the stickers and we have us a deal.” The elderly man didn’t offer a handshake, and Nathan left it at that.
; “Albert?” Beth began softly. “Do you understand this headboard and everything else are worth more than—”
“Your husband and I already have a deal.”
“Oh, he’s not my husband,” she said, looking startled. “We’re friends.”
Albert frowned at Nathan. “Here I pegged you for a smart man. Better hurry up and marry this woman, son. You’ll be darned shocked at how fast life slips by you.” With that he turned and walked down the hall toward the living room.
They followed him to the rickety kitchen table, and Nathan wrote a check for the exact figure Albert gave him—an amount that included the unseen furniture in the second bedroom. Beth stood by without saying much, until she asked Albert for a piece of paper and wrote down her phone number.
He’d never call, certainly not to reclaim the furniture. Nathan had a feeling the old man had known the moment he’d seen Beth that he wanted her to have everything. A younger Albert, along with a smiling woman and two happy children, occupied most of the pictures hanging on the walls on each side of the fireplace.
And three urns sat on the mantel.
The old man’s coveralls weren’t just baggy. They’d once fit the younger, robust man in the family photos. Albert was sick. He hadn’t said, though he’d quietly told Nathan to be sure to pick up everything within ten days. Nathan saw no reason to share his observations with Beth. It would only upset her. That, and he was reasonably certain Albert preferred she remember him as the grinning old man she’d made blush with a goodbye kiss on the cheek.
* * *
THIRTY MILES TO Blackfoot Falls. Beth yawned as she read the sign. She wasn’t ready to go home yet. Two days and two nights hadn’t been enough time. She didn’t care that they hadn’t made it to Missoula. After shopping on Saturday, they’d checked in to the first motel they saw and stayed in for the whole night.
Admittedly, she was a little sore from too much physical activity, but she had no complaints. Her only objection was that she didn’t know when she’d be able to see Nathan again.
Almost on cue, he reached for her hand. “Any chance you can call your sister, check on Liberty and tell them you’ll be home in the morning?”
“Where would we go?”
“My house. I can take you to your truck before daybreak.”
“It’s tempting...” She thought of all the loot stashed in the back. Of course, Albert’s tables came to mind first—she still hadn’t made peace with the purchase. But at least she had proof of a shopping trip if Liberty got nosy. “I’ll give it a try.”
Candace didn’t pick up, and Beth didn’t bother leaving a message. Instead, she called Liberty and found out her mother had left an hour ago and would be gone for two days. What the hell was Candace up to? She’d been disappearing too much lately. Beth just looked at Nathan. He’d heard enough to know it was a no-go.
“That sucks.”
Coming out of his mouth, the words made her laugh. She liked when he surprised her in little unexpected ways. Although yesterday, when he’d mentioned being indifferent to the decor of his house, that had tipped the scale toward shock. He hadn’t said a word about Anne since, and she resisted asking, not willing to ruin their weekend.
“Let’s not end today on a downer,” he said. “Tell me where you’re going to put your tables.”
“For now, I’ll keep them locked in my office. But eventually they’ll go in the parlor.” Brave of him to bring up the topic. They’d had a few heated words when he’d tried to refuse her check for her share. Then she’d threatened him if he didn’t cash it. “When are you picking up your headboards and nightstands?”
He gave her a wry smile. “The end of the week.”
Noting that he hadn’t suggested she go with him, she wished she’d phrased the question differently. She knew he wanted her to have the furniture. But she wouldn’t accept such a lavish gift from him, or any man.
“Nathan? I want to ask you something that’s none of my business, so feel free to brush me off. It’s about Anne.”
He nodded as if he’d been waiting for the question. “You’re referring to what I said yesterday.”
“Yes.” Beth stared closely at him, not sure what to think since she’d expected an opposite reaction. He seemed fine.
“I’d known Anne since we were kids. Not well, since she was two years younger. Growing up in the same small town, you know how it is. The spark wasn’t there until I was a senior. Then we hit it off in a big way. I didn’t look at another girl, even after I left for college. Anne was everything I’d wanted....” His mouth tightened for a moment. “That’s what I thought, but I was still a kid. She knew I was determined to start the Lucky 7—we talked about it all the time. She seemed excited. I assumed we’d get married someday.
“After high school she went to a community college in Kalispell. The first year was kind of rocky for us. I was playing football to keep my scholarship, so I couldn’t come home much during the season. She was involved with her school’s drama department. We broke it off for a few months, got back together, split up again. Then, out of the blue, she called me one day, said she’d made a mistake and she wanted to build the Lucky 7 with me.
“Hell, I was happy. We went back to the way things were until I quit school. I came back, worked like a dog to get the ranch started while she stayed in college for another year, but we saw each other a lot. As soon as the Lucky 7 started making money, we got married. I assumed we were doing great. We’d even decided to start a family....”
Hands tightening on the steering wheel, he exhaled. “I found out that I didn’t know Anne as well as I thought. The night of the accident, she and her friend Bella were on their way to Kalispell to audition for a play. I was away at a cattle auction and had no idea she was gone.” He shrugged. “Turned out every time I left town she’d take off for one audition or another. According to Bella, Anne had always wanted to be on the stage. She’d never said a word to me. I mean, I knew she’d liked drama class in high school....”
Nathan shook his head. “Since we’d agreed to pump extra cash back into the business, it took a while to finish the house. Once we’d made it over the hump and were flush, she was excited about decorating and ordering furniture. I thought everything was fine. But our marriage was a lie. She wasn’t happy. And I was too damned invested in the ranch to notice.”
Not knowing what to say, Beth hesitated. She knew what she wanted to ask him, but was it the right thing? Oh, what the hell.... “Were you?” she asked, and he frowned. “Were you happy?”
His head reared back. He looked as though she’d completely stumped him. She wasn’t surprised. Nathan would feel it was his responsibility to take care of his wife, be the provider.
“Yeah...I guess,” he said finally. “I’d always hoped she’d be more of a partner in making ranch decisions. But I’m sure she had a whole wish list of things I could’ve done better.” He sighed. “What I can’t let go of is that for two years she let me believe we were trying to have a baby. After the funeral I found her birth control pills.”
He looked at Beth, but quickly turned his gaze back to the road. “That was bad enough, but not a week later I discovered that practically everyone knew Anne wanted to be an actress. That she used to go off to auditions and God knows what else every time she could.”
A gasp escaped Beth’s lips. She could almost see the anger and hurt weighing down his shoulders.
“Still, it was my own damn fault. I should have known. Should have seen the truth for myself.”
There was nothing Beth could say that would help. After that first night with him, she remembered wondering whether he would ever get over his wife. Now she wondered if he could ever trust a woman or himself again.
16
ON SATURDAY, WHEN Beth arrived at the Lucky 7 to collect Liberty, Nathan and his brother were in front of the house, talking.
Nathan had told her Clint was going to help him pick up the furniture from Albert, but she’d assumed he’d have g
one home this late in the afternoon.
She smiled as she stepped out of the car, but couldn’t help stealing a glance at the barn. Today was Liberty’s last day of penance, no more drop-offs and pick-ups, and Beth didn’t need a parting incident to set her niece off.
With mixed feelings about meeting Clint, Beth slowly approached. He knew she and Nathan had gone away together last weekend. Beyond that, she had no clue what Nathan might have confided in him.
“Perfect timing,” Nathan said, and for a scary moment she thought he was going to put his arm around her. Instead, he gestured to his brother. “I wanted you to meet Clint.”
“Hi,” Beth said, extending her hand.
“I’m really glad to meet you,” he said, the sincerity in his smile and eyes matching his firm handshake. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Beth.”
“Really?” She shot a wary look at Nathan. The way he was looking back at her... God, she could scarcely breathe. Even someone who didn’t know him as well as his brother could have seen there was something going on. “Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard about my niece terrorizing him.”
Clint just grinned. He had the same dark hair as Nathan and his eyes were brown, too, but lighter. The smile was different, though. “I gotta get back and help Dad move hay. But I hope to see you real soon,” he said to Beth, and then exchanged a cryptic glance with Nathan. “Come to Dad’s birthday dinner, bro. Make Mom happy...Dad and Grandma, too. And think about what I said.”
“Sorry if I chased him off,” Beth said as she watched him walk to his truck.
“No, he really did have to go. He only hung around to meet you.”
“Why?” she asked, facing Nathan. “What did you tell him about me?”
After a second’s hesitation, he said, “The truth.”
She let out a soft gasp. “That we’re friends with benefits?”
“No.” He bit off the word and stared at her as if she’d insulted him.
Beth sighed. Of course he wouldn’t tell his brother or anyone else. That was private.
“The birthday dinner for my dad that Clint mentioned...you want to go?” Nathan asked, watching her closely.
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