by Lydia Olson
Sara nodded, but her eyes narrowed in on Jane.
“I should get to the chores,” Jane said. She wanted to be away from Sara’s stare.
Jane was sure that Brandon was in Denver for some nefarious reason, and she was determined to find out what it was.
Just don’t destroy your happiness in the meantime.
Chapter Sixteen
Three days had passed since Jane went into town and walked home, and on the surface, things seemed to have returned to normal. They continued their meals, keeping conversation light and friendly. They didn’t discuss Jane’s odd behavior in town, and they did not mention her family. They talked of the weather and the ranch, but nothing more.
Milton was frustrated by it, especially after hearing that Jane had been asking about some rich client of Sara’s father. Sara told Hank, who had told Milton. Milton wasn’t keen on the idea of his new wife asking after another man, and it reflected in the way he snapped at the men around him.
“If you keep baling hay like that, we are going to be here till next winter,” Milton grumbled to Hank. It seemed that his foreman was moving slower than molasses on a snowy day, and Milton felt himself growing more and more frustrated by the minute.
Hank ignored him; something that he had been doing all day as Milton snapped at him like angry dog.
“Why don’t you just go ask your wife what’s wrong with her?” Hank grumbled.
Milton gave him a sharp look. He hated how much Sara always told Hank. Neither of them had any sense of propriety.
“Because nothing is wrong with her,” Milton said. “She was simply overcome by the bustle of town.”
Hank raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? She’s been asking a lot of questions about this new, rich easterner who has rolled into town.”
Milton gripped the pitchfork handle so hard that he could feel the wood slicken beneath his fingers. “She’s just curious,” Milton said. That was what he’d been telling himself these past few days. He had not wanted to spend too much time thinking about it. If he did, he would surely lose his mind.
Three days ago, he had walked into the house to check on Jane, only to hear her grilling Sara on the newest addition to their town. He’d said nothing, but it bothered him very much to hear Jane asking so many questions about another man, especially a wealthy one.
Is she interested in another man? A wealthier man? It was Milton’s greatest fear. At least one of them.
“It’s obviously bothering you,” Hank said. “And you are making the rest of us crazy.”
Milton said nothing. He wasn’t going to give Hank the satisfaction of knowing that he was right. Not knowing why Jane was interested in this Mr. Eimer was driving him to mad. He didn’t care for the feelings of jealously that sprang forth in his chest when he wondered if she had been impressed with the eastern gentleman.
“I don’t know why you are so upset,” Hank said. “You two are married. It’s not like she could go off and be courted by another.”
Milton said nothing. Hank didn’t know the truth about his mother. If he had, he wouldn’t say such a foolish thing. Though divorce was rare, it didn’t stop a woman from leaving her husband, even a good one. It was rare, but it did happen.
Milton couldn’t stand not knowing. “I’m going into town,” he said, dropping his pitchfork. It landed with a heavy thud on the ground.
“What?” Hank asked, his voice incredulous. “We have work to get done.”
“I’m sure you’ll get it done,” Milton told him.
“I will, and likely much faster without you griping.”
Normally, Milton would smile at Hank’s jokes, but today he was in no mood. He knew that he was being ridiculous and irrational, which went against his nature. He couldn’t stop the emotions bubbling in his chest at the thought of Jane leaving him for some rich stranger.
Time to find out who this Mr. Eimer is, and what connection he has to my wife.
***
“It’s nice to see you here, Milton,” Mrs. Wiley said. She embraced Milton, and her rose scented perfume enveloped him. She always smelled of freshly cut flowers and sugar. It was an odd but comforting combination.
The Wileys had been like a second family to Milton when he was growing up, and though he did not see a great deal of them these days since running the ranch took most of his time, he still enjoyed their company.
“Thank you for seeing me,” Milton said. He had taken his hat off and twisted the brim nervously in his hands. He saddled a horse and rode into town with haste, not thinking much past his goal, which was to learn more about this Eimer character who had some connection to his wife. “I apologize for not sending word ahead and just dropping by unannounced.”
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Wiley said. “You are welcome in our home anytime.”
Milton smiled. Mrs. Wiley was one of the few people whom Milton genuinely liked and cared for. Knowing that he was a motherless boy, Mrs. Wiley had always taken special care to include him in family events. She doted on him as if she were his own, and Milton developed a deep affection for her.
“Thank you,” he said with genuine sincerity.
“Where’s that lovely wife of yours?” she asked. Mrs. Wiley had not come to the dinner hosted at the ranch, but she met Jane when Serena had taken her on a stroll through town.
“She’s on the ranch,” he said. “She and Sara are thick as thieves. I think they are sewing some new curtains.” Milton hated the tone of his voice. He sounded fake. In truth, Milton did not know what Jane was doing. He hadn’t seen her all day. He wondered if she even cared.
“I’m glad you’ve found someone for yourself,” Mrs. Wiley said. She pressed a soft, wrinkled hand on his cheek. It was a mothering a touch, and Milton allowed himself a moment to lean into it. “If only you could convince Matthew to return and settle down.”
Milton laughed. “I’ll be sure to make mention of it the next time I write him.”
Mrs. Wiley removed her hand from Milton’s cheek, but she graced him with a kind smile. “You be sure to do that. I miss having all my children home.”
Milton loved being in Mrs. Wiley’s presence. Even as a grown man, and he couldn’t imagine being her son and moving away. He had said as much to Matthew when he decided to take a job elsewhere. Milton couldn’t understand it. He would have done almost anything to have a mother like Mrs. Wiley, and though he knew that his friend loved his mother, Milton wasn’t sure that he always appreciated her.
“Now,” Mrs. Wiley said, as she invited Milton further into the house, “what brings you here?”
“I was hoping that I might be able to speak to Mr. Wiley,” Milton explained. “Is he home?”
Mrs. Wiley nodded. “He is,” she said, starting to lead the way. Milton had come to the Wiley house so many times he could have navigated the house with his eyes closed. “You’re lucky.”
“Excuse me?” he asked. He’d been reminiscing about all the times he and Matthew had run through the halls of the Wiley house playing cowboys and Indians. It had been a simpler time, and sometimes Milton missed it.
“Mr. Wiley is barely home these days. He’s only here to get a bit of lunch.”
“I don’t want to disturb him,” Milton said. He didn’t want to go home empty-handed, but he also doesn’t want to take advantage of the Wileys’ kindness.
“He’ll be glad to see you,” Mrs. Wiley said. She walked toward the heavy oak door and gave it a swift knock before stepping inside. “Look who came to pay you a visit.”
Mr. Wiley’s head rose up. He had been sitting at his large desk leaning over several documents while munching on an apple. “Milton!” he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. “What a wonderful surprise.”
Milton reached out and took Mr. Wiley’s hand, giving it a firm shake. Much like his wife, Mr. Wiley was kind, and his kindness had always extended to Milton. He was also a brilliant lawyer, and Milton knew that he was going to have to be very careful not to bring about Mr. Wiley’s suspicion
s.
“Nice to see you, sir.”
“What brings you into town? You rarely leave the ranch these days.”
Mrs. Wiley had backed out of the office so quietly that Milton didn’t even realize it until he heard the click of the door as it latched in place.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I was hoping to be able to ask you a few questions.”
Mr. Wiley raised a bushy gray eyebrow. “Do you need some legal advice?”
Milton shook his head. Now, standing in front of Mr. Wiley, he felt awkward. Milton was a ranch owner. He’d expanded his land over the past few years, but he did not often have need of a lawyer. It made sense that Mr. Wiley would assume that Milton was coming by in the middle of the day to ask for some sort of legal advice.
“No,” Milton said. “I was interested in knowing about Mr. Eimer.”
“Mr. Eimer?” Mr. Wiley asked. “Why would you be interested in him?”
Milton was uncomfortable. He tried his best to remain still, but he felt himself shifting his weight slightly. “I heard that you were helping him purchase the land neighboring mine.” Milton didn’t care much what land Eimer purchased. It made no difference to the running of his own ranch. Milton might not be the most personable of men, but he had never experienced trouble with his neighbors.
No, he was interested in why his wife wanted to know more about Eimer. Standing in front of Mr. Wiley though, he was starting to feel cotton-headed and silly. Maybe Jane is worried about new neighbors or maybe she’s simply curious about another newcomer. Now, Milton could think of a thousand different reasons Jane might have asked Sara about this mystery man.
“Yes,” Mr. Wiley sad. “He’s interested in starting his own ranch. Not sure why. I’m simply helping him with the purchase.”
Milton nodded. “I heard rumblings from the men. Wanted to know if I should be concerned about a newcomer coming in to steal my cattle.” He tried to inject some levity into his voice, but it sounded strangled.
“I don’t think you have much to worry about,” Mr. Wiley said. Milton wasn’t sure of that, but for some reason, standing in the Wiley house soothed him and gave him a slightly more level head. “Though, Mr. Eimer was insistent on purchasing the land that neighbored yours, so perhaps you are missing out on a gold mine.”
Mr. Wiley’s voice was filled with mirth, but it caught Milton’s ear.
“He did?”
Mr. Wiley nodded. “It was the oddest thing.”
Milton swallowed heavily. He had come here hoping for more answers about Mr. Brandon Eimer, the wealthy man from the east. He wasn’t sure what to expect. He had hoped it was nothing, but Mr. Wiley’s words dashed that hope.
“Thank you,” Milton said.
“Was that all?”
Milton nodded. “I was running errands in town, and thought I’d get a bit of information about our newest resident.” His voice sounded tight in his ears.
“Hope I was able to shed some light.”
Mr. Wiley certainty had. Though Milton still did not know why Jane had been so interested in Eimer, Milton knew, without a doubt, that Eimer was interested in them. The only question remaining was why. And it was a question that Milton was determined to answer.
Chapter Seventeen
Jane waited patiently at the kitchen table. She tapped her fingers against the lace tablecloth. One, two, one, two. The beat of her fingers against the surface was like a piano metronome, and she found it surprisingly soothing.
Milton went into town, which was odd for him. Jane didn’t think that he’d gone into town the entire month that she had been on the ranch. So why did he decide to go today? She bit her bottom lip, worrying it as she considered what might have made her husband eager enough to up and leave without telling her.
Is he punishing me? she wondered. Three days had passed since she saw Brandon in town, and thankfully, she had not heard or seen him again. She stayed on the ranch where she was sure to be safe. After three days of not hearing anything further about Brandon, Jane finally started to calm herself.
Now, her worries lay with Milton. Things had been stiff between them these past few days. He hadn’t outright said anything untoward or unkind to her, but there had been a tension that they couldn’t seem to get past.
Jane hated it. She wanted things to go back to the way they had been. It seemed that she and Milton were finally starting to get to know one another and develop a true partnership. That stopped and she could not understand why. She knew that Milton worried about her behavior in town, but she didn’t think he needed to punish her for it. Not for three days.
“Jane?” Sara walked into the kitchen. “Milton still not home?”
Jane shook her head. “I’m sure that he’s simply caught up running errands,” she said. She was trying her best to keep her voice from wavering. She was upset. It wasn’t that Milton went into town. It was that he hadn’t said anything to her.
“You should come eat supper with Hank and me,” Sara offered.
“I’m fine,” Jane told her friend. “I’m sure that Milton will be home at any moment.”
Sara looked at her with sad eyes. “I’m afraid that this is all my fault.”
Jane’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “What is your fault?” she asked. “Milton going into town?”
Sara bit the edge of her lip. She looked guilty, but Jane wasn’t sure what she was guilty of. Sara spent most of her time in the house with Jane. Hank had been the one who informed them about Milton’s abrupt trip into town.
Sara shifted from foot to foot, and she looked everywhere but at Jane.
“Sara?” she implored. “You are worrying me.”
Sara took a deep breath before she began her confession. “I told Hank about you asking after Mr. Eimer.”
Jane raised an eyebrow. She knew that Sara had been confused by her questions, and she wasn’t pleased to know that she had relayed that suspicion to her husband, who was sure to have told Milton.
“Why would that be the reason why Milton went into town and still hasn’t returned?” she asked. She didn’t not want Milton to know about Brandon, especially while she remained in the dark about his intentions, but she couldn’t see why he would be so upset knowing she had asked questions about their potential new neighbor.
“Has Milton told you about his mother?” Sara asked.
Jane moved so that she was on the edge of her chair. Milton had not told her about his mother. He’d mentioned her from time to time, enough for Jane to know that she had not been a large part of his life.
“He mentioned her in passing,” Jane said.
Sara sighed. “Of course, he didn’t tell you about her.” She rolled her eyes. “All these years and he still allows her to rule his life.”
Jane bit her tongue. She wanted to both pry and defend Milton in the same breath. His secrets were his own, but Jane couldn’t help but desire to know more, even if it wasn’t coming from Milton himself.
“What happened?”
Sara took a seat at the table. “She left. Ran off with another man and never came back. As far as I know, she never sent Milton a letter or anything.”
Jane’s heart broke. She imagined Milton as a small boy, abandoned by his mother, and she felt her eyes filling with tears. She blinked them back. Milton recovered from the heartbreak, and though she mourned for his childhood, she couldn’t break over something that hadn’t broken him.
“How could she just leave?” Jane asked. She didn’t expect an answer. She was merely thinking aloud. Her mother had been ripped from her due to illness. She would have never left otherwise.
Sara shrugged slightly. “I was too young to know, and Milton doesn’t speak of it often.”
“What does this have to do with Milton traveling into town? Do you think his mother wrote to him?” Jane was truly confused.
“He’s jealous.”
“Of what?”
Sara looked at Jane as if she were a dunce, but Jane could not understa
nd what Milton would have to be jealous over. They were married. There were no other men in her life except him.
What does he have to be jealous over?
“He’s worried that you might try to run off with Mr. Eimer. After all, he is quite wealthy.”
Jane’s jaw immediately dropped. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I would never!” she shouted. She was offended by the very idea that she would do something terrible like that. Not only would she never leave her husband for another man, she certainly never would go anywhere with Brandon Eimer. The idea turned her stomach. She had run away from home to escape Brandon!