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

by Lydia Olson

  Jane’s eyes caught Milton’s, and she gave him a wide smile. For the first time in a long time, she was sure that everything was going to be alright.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Milton chewed on the inside of his lip in an effort to stifle his anger at the man sitting across from him. Two weeks had passed since the court case where Brandon Eimer was revealed to be a dishonest blackguard, but he still wasn’t quite out of their lives yet. Milton was hoping that after this afternoon, he would never have to think about Brandon Eimer again.

  “You wanted to meet,” Milton sat down across from Brandon who was still detained in the county jail. The sheriff allowed this meeting in an attempt to help Milton, even though, Milton wasn’t interested. Helping himself meant helping Brandon, which Milton wanted no part of.

  “I’m surprised you came,” Brandon said. He looked haggard, which was quite a bit different from how he appeared when he’d been cuffed and dragged out of the court room after the judge had ordered him detained. Milton hadn’t bothered to find out what would happen to him. He had more important things to think about, such as Jane.

  “I have to admit that I’m curious to see why you sent for me,” Milton said. He had been surprised to hear that Brandon wanted a meeting. He thought that he was the very last person that Brandon wanted to see. After all, it was Matthew and Milton who helped orchestrate Brandon’s downfall, and Milton did not feel even the smallest bit of guilt over the situation.

  “As you know,” Brandon said, “I’ve fallen on a bit of hard times.”

  Milton stifled a snort and remained silent. He heard from Matthew that Brandon was not necessarily as rich as he had all of them believing. He’d bought a great many things on credit and propped that credit up with fear.

  Now that he was embroiled in so many legal issues, he needed money. At least that was what Matthew heard from his father, who was owed a great deal of money for his representation of Eimer.

  “So I’ve heard,” Milton commented. He took some pleasure in knowing of Brandon’s misfortune. “That still doesn’t explain why you asked the sheriff to set up a meeting between us.”

  Brandon looked like he wanted to ring Milton’s neck, but he couldn’t. For one, he had too many legal troubles, and he certainly couldn’t afford more. Milton also had a sense of why Brandon called him here.

  “I wanted to discuss a land deal with you,” Brandon said.

  Milton kept a look of benign interest on his face. He would be polite, but not necessarily gracious. He remembered all the ways in which Brandon had threatened to take Jane out of his life, and how he promised to make their lives miserable. Milton knew that Brandon was down on his luck, but that didn’t mean that he needed to be especially helpful in return.

  “Last time we were discussing deals you wanted to trade a small patch of land for my wife,” Milton reminded him.

  “That was a mistake,” Brandon said.

  Milton was surprised. Was this a new Brandon Eimer, or just a desperate one?

  “Was it?” he asked. “You seemed to believe that you were entitled to my wife.”

  Brandon ran a hand through his hair. “You aren’t going to make this easy, are you?” Brandon asked.

  Milton’s face was hard as stone. “I think a lot of people have made things much too easy for you,” he reminded him.

  Brandon said nothing.

  “Is there anything else?” Milton asked. “I have a ranch to run.” Milton got to his feet.

  “Wait!” Brandon said. There was a desperation in his voice that gave Milton pause. He knew that Brandon had fallen, but he didn’t expect the man to be ready to beg him.

  “What is it that you want?” Milton asked once more.

  “I want to sell you my land,” Brandon said.

  Milton was not surprised. He’d heard that Eimer was selling off everything he could. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be selling the ranch. It was why Milton and Matthew met with the other ranchers. They’d brokered a few deals on their own. Milton wanted that land for himself—he didn’t want to fight with anyone else for access to the waterway.

  “How much?” Milton asked.

  “One hundred and fifty dollars,” Brandon said.

  Milton laughed and shook his head.

  I should have known that he would try to sell high, Milton thought. He could say a lot of negatives about Brandon, but he knew that the man was good at brokering a deal.

  Too bad he’s desperate, Milton thought. If Brandon hadn’t been, he might have made a decent deal.

  “Absolutely not,” Milton said. “The land is only valuable on one side, and the house needs work.”

  Brandon’s dark gaze held his. “One hundred even.”

  Milton shook his head. “Fifty,” he said.

  Brandon’s mouth dropped. “I paid twice that!”

  “And I’ve paid Matthew a great deal in legal fees,” he reminded him. Milton was exaggerating. He’d barely paid Matthew anything considering the fact that his friend saved his ranch, and his family’s livelihood.

  “Fifty dollars is better than the government seizing your land,” Milton said. He felt that Brandon needed a reminder of what the alternative was.

  For a moment, Milton thought that Brandon was not going to take the bait. Milton didn’t care. If he didn’t buy the land from Brandon, he would buy it from the city.

  “Fine,” Brandon said. “You win.”

  Milton hated the glee he felt at hearing Brandon utter those words. He allowed himself a moment, though, to revel in his victory. For months, Brandon had deliberately made their lives miserable.

  Milton would never forget the frightened look on Jane’s face that night she walked back from town alone. He hadn’t known about Brandon then, but he knew now that the other man was the reason she’d been so terrified.

  “I’ll have Matthew gather the deed of sale and manage the transaction,” Milton said. His tone was abrupt, and not one that he normally employed when discussing business, but there was nothing left for him to say to Brandon Eimer. Ultimately, he got what he came for.

  “Jane is the type of woman always looking for something better. That whole family is greedy and lazy. You’ll find that out soon enough, and then, maybe you’ll wish you’d taken me up on my original offer.”

  Milton sighed. He should have known that Brandon would not let things go.

  “Don’t debase yourself,” Milton said. “You lost, and you are bitter. Frankly, your assessment of my wife means nothing to me.”

  Brandon chuckled. Milton’s words seemed to have had no effect on him. “Mark my words. When a better offer comes along, Jane and the Parrish family will leave you high and dry.”

  A few months ago, such a threat might actually have affected Milton. His own mother left him as a boy, and it was something that he’d never gotten past. It made him distrustful of women and their intentions. Jane changed all of that. He knew that she was a good woman who cared for him. She’d shown that she was the least selfish person he’d ever known.

  Milton leaned across the table until his face was just a few inches from Brandon. “If you ever come near my wife again, you’ll have bigger issues than money,” he told the older man. His voice was low and dead serious.

  This wasn’t normal behavior for Milton, but he wanted Brandon to know he meant business.

  Brandon said nothing. His dark eyes were hard once more as he looked at Milton, and Milton knew that the man would never stop believing that Jane somehow wronged him. It didn’t matter—he would be out of their lives for good. They’d move on and Brandon Eimer would be destitute and alone.

  Those thoughts warmed Milton as he stepped out into the chill of the afternoon. Winter was almost completely upon them, and he smiled as he thought about showing Jane snow for the very first time.

  Yes, Milton thought, the future indeed looks bright.

  ***

  It didn’t take Milton long to return to the ranch. He went strai
ght home after meeting with Brandon, eager to see Jane. Milton knew that he hadn’t spent a great deal of time with his wife in the weeks that led up to the trial, or in the week after as he dealt with the tying up of loose ends.

  Time to change that, he thought with a smile as he walked into the kitchen.

  Jane was standing near the stove mixing something together that filled the small space with the smells of cinnamon and cloves. Today she was in a simple gray dress that was mostly hidden by her white apron. Her dark, red hair was pulled back from her face, but he could see small curls forming at the base of her neck. He longed to reach out and touch them.

  “Jane?” he said.

  She gave a small yelp and dropped her spoon into the pot. She spun around quickly pressing a hand to her heart. Milton suppressed a small smile. He wasn’t shocked to see the surprise on her face. It was easy to startle Jane when she was cooking, so involved did she get in her culinary creations.

  “I’m sorry to make you jump,” he teased.

  Jane laughed. “No, you didn’t,” she told him, her voice playful. “I know you enjoy sneaking up on me.”

  Milton grinned. “Only a little bit.”

  “How did the meeting go?” she asked. Jane had been an integral part in convincing some of the local ranchers not to bid on Brandon’s land. Her sweet nature put them at ease, and she’d proven to be a shrewd businesswoman. She’d been by Milton’s side every step of the way. He’d made a vow not to keep things from her, and he was doing his very best to keep it.

  “Successfully,” he said. He didn’t want to get too far into things. There was no reason for him to bring up the vile words that Brandon had spoken.

  “Really?” Jane asked.

  Milton nodded.

  Jane released a deep sigh. “I’m so relieved.”

  Milton walked closer and bundled her up in his arms. He loved the moments when it was just the two of them like this. They hadn’t had enough time together to just enjoy one another.

  “I had a thought,” Milton said. He was nervous about bringing up his latest idea. He wanted Jane to be happy, but he also wanted them to start moving toward a true married life.

  “Oh?” Jane asked. She pulled away just slightly but stayed in the confines of his arms.

  Milton took a deep breath. “After Kate and Matthew’s wedding …”

  Jane laughed, and Milton smiled at her. That had been an interesting discovery. After the court case, Kate and Matthew shared their happy, shocking news with everyone. They were planning a spring wedding, and Matthew was looking to purchase a new house for them in town.

  “I’m still not completely sure how that happened,” Jane said, “but I’m glad for them. They deserve happiness.”

  Milton raised a brow, but he said nothing. Kate had reformed herself in some ways, but she was still not his favorite person.

  “What was it that you were thinking?” Jane asked.

  “I was thinking of gifting your father Eimer’s ranch.”

  Jane’s mouth dropped, and Milton tried not to laugh at her expression. They hadn’t discussed this, and he hoped that she would not be upset with what he was proposing.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Kate is soon going to be married and gone, and while I’m happy for your father to remain here, I also know that I can’t run a whole separate ranch.”

  Milton was trying to sell this as help for them.

  Jane gave him a sneaky smile. “I think I agree. It’ll be a good for him to have something for himself.”

  “Do you think he’ll go for it?” Milton was worried. He had a plan to get Jane on board, but he worried that his father might be a harder sell. He was being pleasant these days as he worked to try and rebuild his relationship with both of his daughters.

  “Pa is a proud man, but he may accept. I’ll talk to him about it. I think I’ll be able to settle it better than you.”

  Milton had no doubt about that. Jane had helped settle some difficult disputes between himself and other local ranchers. She could be very persuasive, and Milton would have been a fool not to allow her to help him.

  “There’s something else I want to discuss with you,” he said to her.

  “Oh?” Jane asked.

  “Stephen Miller and his wife–they own a small ranch not too far from here …”

  “He’s one of the men who testified about Eimer’s bullying, right?” Jane asked.

  Milton nodded. After Eimer had been taken in by the sheriff, Stephen was one of the first people to speak up about how Eimer had threatened and bribed him. Helen Hay had been second in line to tell her story. Milton believed that Stephen and Helen gave others the courage to stand up and tell their stories. Milton wanted to do what he could to repay that bravery.

  “He was one of the first to come forward. He’s fallen on hard times. His ranch isn’t as prosperous as it once was.”

  “And you want to help?” Jane asked, a small smile on her face.

  Milton nodded. “I’m not sure what I can do, but I want to offer him whatever we can.”

  Jane leaned in and brushed her lips softly against his. “I think it’s brilliant and kind, and I adore you for it.”

  He held her closely in his arms “And I adore you,” he said.

  Jane smiled at him. She leaned closer and pressed her lips more firmly to his own.

  The kiss was sweet, but much too short. The sound of the door creaking open and the voices of Kate, Sara, and Hank drew the two of them apart.

  “We’ll pick this up later,” Milton promised.

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  Milton delighted in watching as his home grew fuller and fuller, and a warm feeling came over him.

  For the first time in a long time he felt like things were going to be okay—maybe even better than okay.

  Hopefully, it stays this way.

  Epilogue

  Christmastime descended on the Brennan ranch shortly after the waterway issue settled. Jane had never been so excited for a holiday since she was a child. Denver was blanketed with snow, and the entire ranch sparkled. It was too cold to spend much time outdoors, but she convinced Milton to take lunchtime walks.

  “Everything looks so lovely,” Kate said. She was dressed in a lovely, festive red dress and had holly berries in her hair. The effect Matthew had on Kate tamped down her iciness. Since she and Matthew announced their courtship and engagement, Kate’s behavior had bordered on delightful. The two sisters were closer than they’d ever been.

  “Thank you,” Jane said. “I want everything to be perfect.”

  Christmas was Jane’s favorite time of year, and she was especially excited to be hosting her first Christmas as a married woman. She wanted things to be extra special considering the challenges they had gone through in the fall.

  “Janie has done a wonderful job,” her father said. He walked into the dining room, which held a large spread of food. The house was buzzing with so many people that Jane had lost sight of Milton. She craned her neck looking for him. She knew that he hated socializing, and she wanted to make sure that he did not need her to save him.

  “Thank you, Pa,” she said. She placed a kiss on his cheek. He was looking much better than he had been when he first came in the fall. Having work to keep him occupied and his own home has been good for him.

  “How are you?” Jane asked him.

  It was odd not seeing her father every day.

  “I’m well,” he told her. He looked it too. His face had color again, and he looked as if he was both sleeping and eating well. He’d moved to his ranch just two weeks ago, and he’d been doing well since Brandon Eimer went to San Francisco to face charges there.

  “And are you eating?” Jane noted that he’d lost weight.

  He chuckled and nodded. “I am,” he said. “Sara has been a gift.”

  That had been another thing that changed over the last few weeks. Sara decided to relocate to George Parrish’s ranch. He needed the help a great deal mo
re than Jane did. She’d developed a soft spot for George, and she had been more than glad to go somewhere where she would have more to do.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Jane said.

  “Me too,” Kate chimed in. “We need you in good shape for the wedding.”

  Jane and her father looked at one another with happy smiles. Both of them were thrilled about the level of excitement Kate had about her upcoming wedding. She spoke about it every chance that she got.