A Sweet Mail-Order Bride for the Distant Rancher: A Western Historical Romance Book

by Lydia Olson

  Milton took a deep breath. He could feel himself growing frustrated with her, which was something that he did not want. He was trying to be more sensitive in his treatment of her. She was a sensitive woman; he knew he needed to conduct himself in a way that would not upset her.

  “What happened?” he asked. He knew something must have gone wrong. He just couldn’t imagine what it could be. Serena was a flighty woman. As the youngest child, she had been doted on and spoiled, and it showed in her mannerisms. She was harmless though. But something happened there. Jane wouldn’t simply leave by herself, without Sara.

  Jane turned to him. Her skin was paler than normal, and he noticed small tear tracks down her face. Now he was truly worried.

  “Jane?” he walked hesitantly forward. He did not want to upset her even further. Jane was like a new fowl. He needed to make sure that she trusted him. If she didn’t, he would never get any sort of information from her.

  “I hate town!” Jane blurted out. “It’s a terrible place. It’s loud and harsh, and the people are utterly rude.”

  Milton couldn’t help it. He breathed a small sigh of relief.

  “I had to get out of there. It was too much.”

  “I’m sorry,” Milton said. He felt responsible. “I shouldn’t have pushed you to go to see Serena.”

  When she came to the ranch, Jane mentioned how she used to go into town for her father to run errands. He had thought that she would have missed doing something similar. Denver must be bigger than she was used to.

  “No,” Jane said, her voice high pitched. “I shouldn’t have overreacted. I didn’t want to take Sara away from her family. I should have thought it through better.”

  Milton agreed that she had been hasty, but in some ways, he understood it. He didn’t particularly care for going into town himself. He avoided it unless it was completely necessary.

  “It’s alright,” he said. He reached out and took her warm hands in his own. He was becoming more and more comfortable with physical affection between the two of them. “I’m glad that you made it home safely. Most wagons for hire don’t come this far. It’s not worth the wear on their horses’ shoes or their wagon wheels. They mostly transport ladies about town or carry goods home.”

  “I didn’t know,” Jane said. Her hair was in her face, and Milton couldn’t stop himself from brushing away an errant strand. He liked being able to look into her clear, blue eyes. The strands were as silky smooth as he thought they would be. Jane closed her eyes and leaned slightly into Milton’s touch. He felt his heart racing at the intimacy of the action.

  For a moment, the two of them stood there not saying a thing. Finally, Jane opened her eyes and backed away just slightly. “I should get dinner started,” Jane said. “It’s late.”

  “Let’s take a walk,” Milton said. He wanted to calm Jane. He could feel her shaking slightly beneath his touch.

  “I don’t think I’m up for a walk,” Jane said.

  Milton snorted inwardly. He couldn’t believe that he had been so thoughtless as to make such a suggestion. Of course, she wouldn’t want to take a walk around the property. She’d just walked a long way from town to the ranch.

  “Sit,” he instructed. He drew her toward a chair. She opened her mouth to argue with him, but he shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it. You need to rest.”

  Jane said nothing, but she collapsed into the chair. He could tell from the dropping of her shoulders that she was tired. “Do you know how to cook?” she asked.

  “I can’t do much, but I can pull something together. I used to help my pa with the cooking when I was a boy.”

  He shuddered slightly as he thought about those times. Neither he nor his father were much help in the kitchen, but Milton had learned to roast a simple chicken and make some johnnycakes. It was what he had grown up on. Of course, he was just as likely to burn them as he was to fry them properly.

  “You didn’t have a maid?” Jane asked.

  Milton shook his head. “We didn’t have a lot of money back in those days. Pa moved us here from New Mexico. He used every penny he had to purchase the land and build the house.”

  Milton decided to cook some sausages, which was one thing he knew he could prepare properly. He didn’t want to embarrass himself.

  “What happened to your mother?” she asked.

  The question stopped him in his tracks. He hadn’t expected her to ask about his mother so abruptly, especially as they were sitting in the kitchen making dinner. “What?”

  Jane bit her bottom lip. She tended to do that when she was nervous or thinking. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to pry, but you don’t mention your mother very often. Did she pass?”

  The easy answer would have been yes, but Milton didn’t want to lie. Jane hadn’t lied to him. Even when she had not wanted to talk about something, she had never lied to him.

  “She didn’t,” he said. “She left the ranch when I was a young boy.” Milton was hoping that his tone told Jane that he did not care to continue talking about this. His mother was a sore subject, and one that he did not care to discuss.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.

  Milton gave her a short nod. “How about we have some sausages and potatoes,” he said. I’m not much of a cook, but I can make something edible.

  “You know,” Jane said. She released a low, long yawn. “I think I might retire for the evening if that’s alright.”

  Milton was taken aback. “You aren’t hungry?” he asked. She had walked so far that he had assumed that she would be ravenous for a meal.

  “I can barely keep my eyes open,” she said.

  Milton instantly knew that something was afoot. He sensed it in his gut. Jane wasn’t acting like herself.

  “Alright,” he said, concerned. He couldn’t force her to eat.

  “I’m sorry,” Jane said, “But I think it’s best if I rest.”

  Milton thought it was best as well. His anger was escalating, and he didn’t want to take things out on Jane. It would only make things bad between them.

  As he watched her head out of the kitchen, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly she was hiding.

  Maybe she does have something in common with my mother after all.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jane’s eyes were dry and burning. They felt heavy, and all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and go to sleep. Her body ached as if she had an illness, and if she thought she could get away with it, she would feign sickness.

  But that would only bring more questions to her door. Last night, Milton had been cross with her. Though he hadn’t said anything to her outright, his eyes had blazed with irritation. She’d been impressed that he had been able to contain it, but he had.

  I repaid him by leaving him to fend for himself for dinner. Jane felt terrible and not just physically. She regretted all her rash behavior of the day before, and she sighed as she dressed, knowing that she would have to account for it.

  Milton might have been willing to overlook her odd behavior, but she knew that Sara would not. How am I going to explain myself?

  Jane wasn’t used to so many people caring about her. At home, her father and her sister paid her little attention unless they needed something from her. Groaning, she grabbed the doorknob and made her way out into the hallway. Sara was likely already waiting in the kitchen to give her a dressing down.

  As mistress of the house, Jane was Sara’s employer, which meant that Jane didn’t owe her any sort of explanation. Not a good way to think of things between the two of us if I hope to maintain her friendship, Jane thought. She resigned herself to her fate as she walked into the kitchen.

  She was too tired to do much else. She hadn’t slept a wink last night. Her mind wouldn’t stop turning, trying to figure out why Brandon would have come to Denver, and why he would be purchasing a plot of land.

  It didn’t make any sense to her. Brandon lived back east. He did business in New Mexico and Texas, and
from what Jane could recall, he’d never settled in either area before. Her heart started to pound in her chest as her mind wandered away from Sara and back to Brandon.

  “You look terrible,” Sara said, as Jane walked into the kitchen.

  Jane pursed her lips. She hadn’t taken a glance in the looking glass before leaving her room, but she could imagine that she didn’t look her best. Walking several dusty miles and not sleeping were a terrible combination.

  “Thank you,” Jane said. She walked toward the table and grabbed a piece of bread that Sara had sliced. Sara always prepared a light breakfast of fruit, bread, and cheese for her, and today, was no different. Jane appreciated it. She was starving. The moment she woke up, the dull ache in her stomach reminded her of her decision to skip dinner the night before.

  “Milton told me that you did not eat last night. Would you like me to make you something more?” Sara asked. Her voice was incredibly formal, and as Jane took a seat at the small kitchen table, she couldn’t help but slide down slightly in embarrassment. She could handle Sara being angry at her, but she did not like the formal deference she was showing.

  Did I ruin our friendship? Jane wondered. Her heart clenched at the thought. She had seen Brandon only once, briefly, but he was already making her life more difficult.

  “I’m fine,” Jane said, her voice meek.

  “Alright,” Sara said. She turned her back and began cleaning dishes.

  Jane sighed as she placed a small piece of apple in her mouth. The kitchen was quiet except for Sara handling the morning dishes. Jane did not like confrontation. It would have suited her personality better if Sara had been angry with her.

  “Can we talk?” Jane asked. She swallowed her fruit. She determined that she would not sit back and allow Sara to be angry with her. Sara and Hank were her best friends on the ranch. Their presence on the ranch was vital, and if Sara hated her, Jane was sure that Milton would eventually feel the same.

  “About what?” Sara asked. “Is your breakfast not to your liking?”

  “Breakfast is fine, but I can’t enjoy a bit of it knowing that you are angry with me,” Jane said.

  “I’m not angry with you,” Sara said, but her voice did not match her words. Her tone was tight, and she seemed to not want to speak any further.

  Jane sighed. “You are,” she said. “And I can’t say that I blame you. My behavior with Serena was terrible. I’ll be sure to send a note to apologize …”

  Sara released a deep, frustrated sigh. “Serena will barely remember the affront,” she said. “She thinks you are a newlywed church mouse who was so overcome by the big city that you had to rush home to your knight.” Sara rolled her eyes. It was clear that she did not agree with her sister.

  “You don’t agree?” Jane asked.

  “No,” Sara said. “You might have been overwhelmed by the city, but you aren’t prone to fits. Milton wouldn’t want a wife who was so delicate, and I’ve never seen you anything but coolheaded.”

  “I was pretty flustered when Milton expected me to host a dinner on such short notice,” Jane reminded Sara. Sara had been one of the only reasons that she hadn’t lost her head completely.

  Sara rolled her eyes. “You were nervous, but you kept your cool about you. From what Serena said, you ran out of the general store so quickly that she wasn’t able to find you.”

  Jane flushed. She had been determined to get back to the safety of the ranch, so much so, that she walked back to the ranch when she could not find a wagon to take her.

  “I’m sorry,” Jane said. “Denver was too much for me.”

  Sara’s dark eyes bore into Jane as if she were searching for the lie that she was hearing. Jane did her best to school her features. “Did someone do something to you while in town? My sister can be very trusting …”

  “No!” Jane said quickly. “I was simply overcome. In truth, I haven’t spent much time off of ranches. I thought that I would be able to get a wagon back here, and I didn’t want to disturb you from your visit with your family.”

  Jane felt terrible as she watched Sara’s face fall in guilt. She knew she was making it seem as if she hadn’t wanted to disturb Sara, which hadn’t been the case at all.

  “Next time, please return with Serena. There’s no telling what could have happened to you out there alone. And if something did happen, I would never hear the end of it from Milton.” Sara gave her a slight wink, and Jane knew that their friendship was not destroyed.

  “Milton was pretty cross with me,” Jane said.

  “He worries. He won’t ever tell you, but he does. He’s been alone for a long time, and I don’t think that he’d do well should something happen to you.”

  Jane said nothing. Sara was always trying to find out more about Milton’s and Jane’s feelings, and Jane was determined not to tell her too much. It wasn’t that she did not want to share. It was that she did not know how she felt about Milton. She cared for him greatly, and she was glad to have him as a husband, but whenever she started to settle into the ranch, something happened to put her ill at ease.

  “May I ask you something?” Jane asked. She wasn’t sure if she should broach the subject she wished to, but she was going to take a chance. She needed answers, and Sara was the second-best person she thought of who could give them to her.

  “Of course,” Sara said. She seemed to have relaxed a bit, and instead of turning back to her cleaning, she took the extra seat at the table. Jane felt herself relax. If Sara was still angry at her, she wouldn’t be sitting at the table.

  Cooling Sara’s anger had been easier than she had feared. She tried to suppress a smile as she recalled how Milton had said that Sara had a soft heart. It seemed that she did indeed.

  “Serena was talking to a man in the general store …” Jane trailed off. She was trying to be as nonchalant as possible. Sara had keen senses, and Jane knew that if she pressed things too hard, she would start to ask questions Jane did not care to answer.

  “Who?”

  Jane steepled her fingers under her chin as she thought. “His name is Brandon Eimer,” she told her friend.

  Sara’s eyes brightened. “Oh, Mr. Eimer! He’s brand new to town from out east.”

  Jane bit her tongue. Brandon seemed to have made his mark on both Sara and Serena. She assumed that it was a combination of him being from the east and being wealthy. Kate and Jane had been the same way until they saw a glimpse of his black heart. Jane tried her best not to shiver as she recalled the cruel way he had treated the ranch hands and the maids.

  “Serena said that he’s a client of your father’s,” Jane said.

  “He is. Pa is helping him purchase some land out this way. If it goes through, you will be neighbors.”

  Jane’s heart stopped in her chest. She wasn’t sure that she could even breathe. The idea of Brandon living so close to her made her stomach turn and bile rise in her throat. You’re being dramatic, Jane told herself. Brandon can’t do anything to you. You are married. He can live wherever he wishes. That does not mean he will live with you.

  Jane knew that she was being unreasonable. Denver was a large city surrounded by fertile land. If Brandon did wish to settle his fortune in a ranch, Denver would be a perfect place to do it.

  “Jane?” Sara asked. “Are you alright?”

  Jane nodded. “I was just interested. I didn’t know that your father helped acquire land.”

  “He normally doesn’t. He’s a lawyer like my brother Matthew, but Mr. Eimer is quite well off. Father couldn’t turn down such a boon.”

  Jane smiled sardonically as she recalled how her own father hadn’t been able to turn down Brandon either. It was what had led her to Denver eventually. And maybe that is the best thing that could have happened to you, she thought.

  By trying to marry her to Brandon, her father forced her to take matters into her own hands. And she’d found herself a lovely life with a wonderful man.

  “Why would someone from the east want to start a
ranch in Denver?” Jane asked. She wanted to know if Sara knew more about Brandon and his intentions.

  She shrugged. “Beats me. It is a bit odd. Most people coming out west are looking for gold and a better life. Mr. Eimer doesn’t seem to need either.”

  “Maybe he’s looking for a wife?” Jane said the words before she could even think of how they sounded.

  “A wife?” Sara’s tone grew slightly suspicious.

  “Oh,” Jane said, “I was just thinking that perhaps he had met a lady from the area. Would make sense that they would want to lay roots.”

  “Perhaps,” Sara said.

  “Either way,” Jane replied, “I’ll have to have him over once he becomes our neighbor.”