by Reece Butler
“Meggie’s fifteen now,” said Nevin. “Some of the miners were sniffing around her skirts even before her pa got hurt. No one will bother her now.”
That’s what Nevin was doing to her, sniffing around her skirts. She grabbed the chance to escape. “If we’re having guests tomorrow, I’d better go back and help get things ready.”
“You head off home,” said Ross. “Nev and I will be along in a bit.” He dropped his head, raised his eyebrows, and pointed a finger at her. “Don’t think this discussion is over.”
“Don’t let Gil eat all Auntie’s biscuits,” called out Nevin as she turned away.
“Any he doesn’t eat, I will,” she sassed back in relief of escape. She laughed, not quite hysterically.
Would Ross and Nevin really do to her what she’d seen in that book? She kept putting one foot in front of the other until she reached the kitchen steps. Then she saw the pile of wood. Wood for the fire. The hot, burning fire!
A flash of terror raced through her. She braced herself to run. But there was no fire. No burning heat. Just warm sunshine. She collapsed on the step, her face wet with tears of relief. She hadn’t had an attack in ages.
There’s nothing wrong. You’ll get over this.
Of course they had a wood stove in Montana Territory. Unlike the city, wood was free for the taking while coal must be paid for in gold.
She would just have to get over it and learn to make a fire in the stove. Not the fireplace, but she should be able to manage a closed, fireproof stove. She had overcome other things. This was one step on the way. No one needed to know of her fear. She wiped her face with her sleeve and stood.
She put her right boot on the first step, her left on the next. A pile of logs was not going to hurt her unless it had a snake in it or something. She peered at the neat stack of split wood. Who could be more afraid of a cooking fire than a rattlesnake? Getting caught in one fire years ago didn’t mean she’d ever have that happen again. And if she did, she’d survive. Somehow.
She opened the door and stepped in. Gillis sat at the table eating stew, Hope tucked in the crook of his elbow. He dipped his little finger in the bowl, waited for a moment for the broth to cool, then held it out to her. She grabbed hold of his finger with both hands and brought it to her mouth. She gummed his finger until the flavor was gone then squawked for more. Tillie sat in the rocker nursing a dusky child with reddish-brown hair. He was much bigger than Hope. She nodded at an older Indian woman, who must be Auntie.
“Sit. Eat,” said Auntie.
Since she’d had little but cheese and bread on the ride home and no breakfast, her stomach rumbled in agreement. The woman nodded, her eyes bright.
“Thank you,” said Amelia. “Your son is much bigger than Hope,” she said to Tillie.
The young woman beamed back. “He is healthy and strong, like his father.”
“You miss him.”
Tillie nodded. “It is necessary, but he will be back soon. Then we will make another one.” She tickled the baby’s belly. It stopped sucking long enough to smile back then went back to the serious business of eating.
Amelia nodded her thanks and inhaled the fragrance rising from the bowl Auntie set in front of her. She picked up her horn spoon, dipped it, and took a sip. Unfamiliar flavors, strange but wonderful, rolled over her tongue.
“Mmm, Ross was right. You are a wonderful cook.”
“You will learn the plants.”
As Amelia had already decided to do that, she nodded at the order. She was scraping the bottom of her bowl and considering asking for another when two men burst into the room. They argued in a strange language. Auntie lifted her wooden spoon and told them off with the same soft syllables.
“Is that language Bannock?” Amelia asked when Ross and Nevin sat down. Sheepish from whatever their aunt had said, they waited quietly to be served.
“We speak Paiute,” said Ross. He filled his mouth with stew after thanking Auntie.
“Do you speak Gaelic, too?”
“Gillis is fluent,” replied Nevin as Auntie prepared his bowl. “He spent a lot of time with Father and the older brothers. His mother, Phoebe, spoke only Gaelic to him until she died. That’s why he has that terrible accent when he thinks he’s talking English.”
Gil made as if to throw a punch at Nevin for the disparaging comment.
“Ross and me, all we know of Gaelic is the curses Father, Fin, and Hugh threw at us.” He winked at Amelia. “We keep in practice by using them on Gil.”
Gil grunted. He grabbed the last biscuit from the wooden plate.
“Hey, we only had one each,” complained Nevin.
“That’s what happens when ye’re late.” Gillis, Hope still in his arm, stood up. “Thank ye for the meal, ladies. I’ll put the wee lassie down for her nap.” He rested her over his left shoulder and crossed the room.
The tiny baby’s hair was a more golden red than her father’s. She snuggled into his neck, secure in his love. Amelia’s children would have a trio of men, fathers and uncles, to love them. From what Prue said, the Elliotts were the same and behaved as uncles.
“Gillis put your trunks and boxes in the bunkhouse,” said Ross. “Is there anything you need from them?”
“My unmentionables.” She raised an imperious eyebrow at her husband.
“Not gonna happen,” he said, returning the eyebrow threat.
Chapter Thirteen
“Are ye staying for the week?”
Gillis called out the friendly insult as the loaded Elliott wagon rolled to a stop in front of the kitchen. He laughed when the man driving growled something about women.
“That’s Beth and Trace on the seat,” said Ross to Amelia. “In the back is Meggie, holding James, and her sister, Bridie.”
Amelia noticed Ross kept his attention on the two outriders rather than the knife he nonchalantly tossed in smooth arcs. He caught the hilt each time without even looking. The knife was rather large to Amelia’s way of thinking. Ross grumbled when the grinning, handsome, brown-haired man gave her a big wink.
“Nev!” called out the flirt as he eyed Amelia up and down. He dismounted and approached. “Ross is tossing his knife again. He’s not thinking I’ll steal his wife, is he?”
“Not if you want to be welcome upstairs again,” called out Beth.
“But it’s the first time I’ve been able to make old Stoneface nervous,” replied the man, still flashing white teeth at her.
“Jack, you play nice or git home,” growled Trace.
That morning, Gillis had warned her about Trace’s voice, how he was roped by the neck and dragged for saving a woman from three men. It almost killed him, and it broke his voice box. He certainly sounded like a demon from hell that a revival preacher would warn against.
“Don’t mind Jackass,” said a calm voice at her side. She turned to find a tall, black-haired man with warm, gray-green eyes. “Welcome to Tanner’s Ford, Amelia. I’m Simon.” He touched a finger to his hat, winked, and turned to Ross. “Don’t kill Jack until after the house-raising. After that’s all done, you can skin him alive. I’ll even help you hold him down.”
When Beth, helped down from the wagon by Trace, started walking toward them, Ross’s knife disappeared. Eight inches taller than Amelia, Beth barely had to go up on her heels to kiss Ross’s cheek.
“Don’t you dare hurt him, Ross MacDougal. I want all my men’s parts in good working order. I hope you don’t mind us calling you Amelia,” said Beth. “We’re all family, and there’s too many of us with the same name.” Her smile faded. “I’m so sorry that you didn’t get to see Prue before she passed. She loved you very much and was my dear friend.” She looked up, blinking hard. “Dear me, I promised I wouldn’t cry.” She pulled out a hanky and dabbed her eyes.
Amelia had seen the gesture before, but Beth obviously meant it. If what Ross told her was correct, Beth had three husbands. It was an open secret, which meant the town busybodies would know. Perhaps Prudence had been
Beth’s only friend.
“You’re welcome to come over anytime for a natter, like before.” Ross turned to Amelia. “You going to invite them inside so we men can get some work done?”
Heat flashed up her face. “Me?”
He patted her bottom, making a show of it and stirring a different kind of heat. “As the only wife, you are the lady of the home.”
“Oh!” She fumbled for something to say. “Please, come inside. I made some lemonade to go with Auntie’s baking.”
“Not yet,” growled Trace. He stalked over to Beth. He stared at her as his long legs covered the ground. Her color rose as he approached.
“Trace Elliott, you are not going to—”
“Hush, woman. Girls, bring James inside.”
Meggie and Bridie giggled and waved as they passed. Trace wrapped his arms around Beth and kissed her. Not a peck that a husband of many years would provide, but a deep, thorough job. Amelia licked her dry lips as she watched. She’d never seen a kiss like that though she’d imagined them. Beth reeled when Trace backed away. He’d untied her bonnet strings, grinning. She grabbed it to keep it from sliding to the ground.
“No, Jack,” said Trace as Jack lifted his foot. “You said good-day. Time to get home. There’s a stack of boards needing cutting for that addition.”
“If I can’t kiss Beth, neither can Simon,” said Jack. He produced a pout a two-year-old would be proud of.
“Last one home makes dinner,” called Simon. He leaped on his horse and raced downhill. Jack followed, whooping and hollering with a more sedate Gillis at the rear.
“No, they never stop,” sighed Beth, answering Amelia’s unasked question. “Pray you never have twins, especially boys. They never grow up, always trying to one-up each other.”
“I’ve never met twins before,” said Amelia.
“I haven’t yet met Ben and Ranger, the second set of Elliott twin boys,” said Beth. “Along with Patrick, they plan to drive in a herd of cattle sometime this fall. For everyone’s sake, I hope at least one of them brings a wife.”
“Not likely,” said Trace. “Ben’s too hepped up about his lawyering, Ranger’s too hard for a woman, and Patrick too shy.” He lifted an eyebrow to Ross, who gave a barely perceptible nod. Trace leaned over and kissed Amelia’s cheek. “Nice meeting you, Amelia.”
He groped Beth’s bottom as he passed. She shook her fist at him with one hand while rubbing her cheek with the other. He made a strange noise, which Amelia realized was laughter.
“Beth,” said Ross. He barely brushed her cheek before turning to Amelia. “Let’s see if we can top Trace,” he murmured in her ear.
He grasped her bottom cheeks and lifted, holding her pressed against his erection. She instantly reacted, reaching her arms around his neck. She stretched her knees around his hips as best she could in her dress. He ground himself against her. They’d only had relations once the night before. She rubbed her breasts against his chest, eager for more sensation.
“Looks like you got yourself the right type of wife.”
The deep, grating growl smashed through Amelia’s red fog of lust. Gasping, she pushed herself away from Ross. She fought to get her feet on the ground, but he held her tight.
“Hold on a minute, wife. I wasn’t finished.”
So mortified she wished she could crawl into a hole, she kicked out and caught his knee.
“That’ll cause you a spanking,” said Ross. He stared at her, eye to eye.
“Put me down,” she demanded. It came out more like a pant, so she cleared her throat and tried again. “Down, Ross MacDougal.”
“You’re worse than the twins,” said Beth, laughing. “Come on, Amelia. Let’s leave these two billy goats to butt heads and play ‘I’m the better husband’ without us. That lemonade sounds wonderful.”
Ross set her down. He leered at her so openly she poked him in his belly with her finger. It didn’t penetrate past his shirt. The man was hard muscle, everywhere. She looked down, considering a more sensitive place to poke.
“No, you don’t.” Ross took her shoulders and turned her toward Beth and the house. “Off you go.” He gave her a playful slap on the bottom. She squeaked at the minor pain. She stuck her mouth open at him and stomped toward the house, arm in arm with Beth.
“Men,” said Beth. “Can’t live with them, but life isn’t much fun without them.”
They shared a laugh. Halfway across the yard, Beth slowed her steps. Amelia slowed as well.
“So, have you shared your bed with Nevin yet?”
Amelia stopped. She stared up at Beth for a moment before shutting her mouth.
“I guess not.” Beth winked. “Don’t go all white and frightened, Amelia. Before she died, Prue made me promise to tell you she wanted you to care for all the MacDougal men. Just like I do the Elliotts.”
“Umm—”
“Ross wants you to take care of Nevin, and Gillis when he’s ready, but he wants you all to himself as well.”
Amelia nodded. “You understand.”
“Very well.”
* * * *
Amelia waved as Beth expertly maneuvered the wagon down the worn track home. In a year, she would be equally proficient. Would she also have a baby at her breast? She rested her hand on her belly. Her parents had only two children though they were married for years. It took Prue three years to finally have a baby. She hoped she would be like Beth.
“See you soon,” she called out. The girls waved back until they went around the trees and out of sight.
Suddenly, tears flowed down Amelia’s cheeks. She hugged herself, fighting for control. She had a friend. One who accepted her as she was, scars and all. Even better, Beth didn’t care about society’s rules, choosing to do what was best for herself and her family.
She was part of the MD Ranch now. She would follow her own rules.
Amelia used her apron to wipe away her tears. It reminded her of something she needed quiet to do. She turned away from the house and walked toward the small plot of land framed by iron bars and wildflowers. She looked at the headstones, stopping at her sister’s.
Here lies Prudence Smathers MacDougal. Darling wife, loving mother. RIP.
She sank down, resting her bottom on her heels.
“I’m sorry I didn’t leave Father and come to you sooner. I was a fool, thinking he would change, that he would care about me. You were right to run away. You found the freedom you always wanted and the love we never had.”
A breeze stirred the hair that had pulled out of her braid.
“Hope is a wonderful baby. Gillis loves her so much. Only she can make him smile.”
She leaned forward and absently picked at the few weeds around the headstone.
“Beth said you made her promise to encourage me to love the MacDougal men. I think I may love Ross someday, but it’s too soon to say.” She sniffed back tears. “I really like how he makes me feel wanted. I know he wants my body, but I think it might be more than that.”
She brushed off her skirts and stood up.
“I don’t know how long it will take Gillis to get over his grief at losing you. But I’ll help him however I can. When he smiled at Hope, I could see the loving man you fell in love with.” She worried her bottom lip for a moment. “Beth is a wonderful woman, and she shares her men. If Gillis needs me that way, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Wildflowers waved in the breeze that swept her words toward the mountains.
“I’ll be the best aunt to Hope, treating her as my own daughter. I’ll tell her all about you and Mama. Even Grandmama. You didn’t know, but I met her a few times without Father finding out. She would have been so proud of you, making a place here in the wilderness. Thank you for bringing me here, Prue.”
She closed her eyes and waited for a sign. All she heard was the sighing of the wind in the trees. She finally gave up and opened her eyes. A raven flew past and settled on Prue’s headstone. It rattled its wings at her, tilting its head almost
comically.
“Did Ross send you to keep an eye on me?”
It nodded, bouncing its entire body to do so. She laughed at its antics. It flapped its wings and flew into the trees.
“He told me where to find you.” She gasped when Ross pulled her back against his chest. She would have to put a bell on him, he moved so quietly. He crossed his arms over her, resting his hands on her belly. “Between his bird’s-eye view of the whole valley and his speed, Raven knows what’s going on for miles around.” He kissed her head. “Beth and Prue were good friends.”
Amelia nodded. “I feel a lot better now. Both about being here with you and about not arriving before Prue died. I’m glad she had Beth.”
He rested his chin on her head. They stood there together until the sun began to set.
“I’m hungry, and so are these mosquitoes,” he said. “I don’t want that skin of yours to get all itchy from their bites.”
He took her hand, and together, they walked home to supper.
Chapter Fourteen
One week later
“Isn’t it wonderful how much help you’ve got,” said Amelia. They’d arrived early to the Elliott home to prepare for the expected help. Because the addition was for Meggie and Bridie, lots of miners walked to the Rocking E. Beth insisted home cooking had a lot to do with their eagerness.
“We’ve got a few minutes,” said Beth. “Could you help me get something upstairs?”
“Of course.” Amelia followed Beth. Both homes had the same layout yet seemed totally different. No welcoming aroma of sweetgrass greeted her, and the walls were covered with bright, quilted pictures.
“I just realized how bare our walls are. Yours are so colorful,” said Amelia.
“That’s one of the things I wanted to show you. Your sister gave me the most beautiful set of picture quilts, one for each season. I had the men put them up over our bed.”
Our bed.
Amelia gulped. She was going to see The Bed, the one Beth shared with three men. Three! She’d almost got her head around the thought of sharing a bed with Nevin as well as Ross. After all, it was their bedroom originally. But three men?