"Your papa slept most of the day today, but he was sick a few times this morning. I had to wash all of the bedding and toweling," Charlotte shook her head sadly.
"I'm sorry that I was not here to help you," Serena placed a hot plate of stew in front of her mother and forced a spoon into her pale hand. "Eat, mama."
"Nothing you could have done sweetheart, besides you were busy running the store. You work hard enough for us," motioning to her plate Charlotte said, "and you prepare dinner for us before you even leave the house in the morning."
"Don't you think it is time to get Mathias involved mama? He would be a great help to us," Serena asked.
"You know your father does not want Matt involved right now. He has too much invested in the ranch, and it would kill your papa if Mathias sold off even a portion of it to help us," her mother explained to her.
"He may be able to help us without doing that," Serena argued.
"Mathias had invested way too much in building that mausoleum of a house for that flighty girl Daisy. It would put too much of a strain financially on him," Charlotte informed her daughter.
"I'm going to go check on papa, and see if I can get him to eat some of this stew," Serena informed her mother. Changing the subject seemed best, as Serena tended to harbor resentment towards the choice that her parents had made to seclude Mathias from their issues. "Just leave your dish on the table when you are done. I will wash up after."
"Aren't you going to eat darling?"
"I will in a bit mama," gathering up a kitchen towel and a glass of cool water from the kitchen reserve, Serena turned to go up the back stairs toward her parents' bedroom. "Would you like me to prepare a bath for you? It won't take me but a moment," she called out on her way upstairs.
"Not tonight dear. I will just wash up for now. I'm too tired to keep my eyes open so after I eat this, I think I will make an early night of it."
Serena made her way slowly up the rickety stairs. Each squeak and groan reminded her that the beautiful house her parents had built was falling apart. She hated the feeling that came to her gut as she pushed open the door and walked toward the bed. Fear was the one emotion that was nearly impossible to push aside. It ate at you until your knees nearly buckled.
"Papa... papa, I brought you a little supper. Stewed beef, your favorite," Serena put the plate and glass down on the table next to the bed and gently shook his shoulder. She was relieved when he finally opened his bleary eyes, and tried to sit up a bit on his own. After getting him as comfortable as she possibly could, she placed the plate of food in his lap and settled next to him.
"How are you feeling papa?" Serena leaned over and felt his forehead. She was relieved to find it cool to the touch. No fever meant that he may have a restful night after all.
"I feel a bit better now that you are here Sunshine," reaching over George Sinclair patted Serena's hand and thanked her for the meal.
"Lord it is hot in here," Serena muttered. Lifting her long hair up into a bun, she fanned her face with one hand, hoping for a bit of relief.
"So what have you been up to today my girl?"
"Nothing papa!" Serena answered a bit too quickly and blushed scarlet. Smiling brightly to cover her embarrassment, Serena said, "It has been a long day."
"Maybe it is best you do not tell me," he said tapping the side of her neck. "Just don't let your mama see that little mark on the side of your neck. I am not up to trying to find my shotgun, and your mama knows all too well what those marks are from... lord knows I gave her quite a bit of those before we were married."
"Papa!" Serena gasped, one hand shot to cover the slight bruise Alec had obviously left on her.
"I trust you Serena, but don't let things get out of hand. I know you are a grown woman, but you will always be my little one. Don't make me kill this man," George Sinclair warned.
"Yes papa," Serena hung her head in mortification. She was going to smack Alec the next time she saw him.
"So, are you going to give me the name of the man who has won your heart?" her father inquired. "A father has a right to know."
"Who says he has won my heart?" Serena shot back smartly.
"Because, I know you too well my love. You would never allow a man you did not love to take liberties with your person."
"How about you eat your supper and we pretend this conversation never happened, all right papa?" picking up the glass of water from the table, Serena handed it to her father and helped him take a healthy swallow of the tepid liquid.
"Sure thing honey, but you tell Alec the next time he marks my daughter... I am going to ram my shot gun up his a..."
"Papa!"
"Fine. I won't say it, but you know what I am getting at. I love that boy as if he was my own, but I won't hesitate to shoot off a knee cap or two if he goes too far," George said in all seriousness. A steely glint formed there showing that even in his weakened state, George Sinclair would find the strength to protect his family no matter what the cost. "A man can limp down the aisle just as soon as he can walk down it."
"I never said it was Alec," Serena chided.
"You don't need to say it. I've known how you felt about him since you were fourteen. You have never even showed a hint of interest in any other boy in the last near on eleven years. It is how he feels about you that I am worried about."
"You are as bad as Pops O'Malley with your matchmaking! He spent a good hour today trying to get me to give him a penny so that he could sneak my name onto Alec's ledger!" Serena exclaimed. To her horror George just chortled at her outrage.
"Never underestimate a father determined to see his daughter wed...."
"Papa, please tell me that you did not recruit those crazy old men to help you scheme," Serena asked suspiciously as her father continued to chuckle. Rising from her seat on the bed, Serena walked to the door. "Well, I am glad you find this so amusing," she grouched as she cast a stern look at her papa.
George only laughed louder as his beautiful wife of thirty three years entered the room and asked what was so funny, and why her daughter was holding her neck as she raced from the room.
"Bug bite," he replied with a straight face. He did not dare add that it was the love bug that did the biting.
His loving wife had a mean left hook and a soft spot in her heart for the orphaned young man that had come to mean so much to this town. He had no plans on making her use one against the other. Besides, George had faith the boy would shape up to be one remarkable son in law for his wife.
Alec would take good care of his girls after George was gone. He just hoped that the boy wised up soon. He would love to be able to live long enough to see his only daughter married. That did not give Alec long to win his little girl. Thankfully, the council boys had decided to lend George a hand in getting the deed accomplished. He had been blessed in life with a family, good friends and the most exquisite woman in the world to call his wife. A man could not ask for more.
"Come here woman and give me a kiss," George called.
"Oh, George," Charlotte blushed brightly, but she hurried to comply with her husband's request.
"I saw them kissing behind the smokehouse at the O'Malley's ranch. At first, I thought to confront them, but then I decided to talk to you first."
"Good girl Trudy. We don't want anyone else to know what you've seen," her papa did not even bother to lower his newspaper as he addressed her announcement.
"Why not papa? Wouldn't it be enough to let the town know what a brazen harlot, little miss- perfect- Sinclair really is? A ruined reputation is a death sentence for a woman's matrimony prospects," Trudy argued.
"Because lamb, if word gets out her brother will make him marry the girl. Then where will you be? It certainly will not be the mayor's wife."
"Papa, you cannot expect me to continue to try for the mayor. I don't think Alec Wentworth even likes me the tiniest bit."
"I do expect you to, and you will Gertrude May Bixby," tossing the paper aside, Thomas stood and crossed
the room over to where Trudy sat at her piano in the Bixby family drawing room. Reaching out he grasped a blonde lock of her hair and twirled it around his plump finger. Thomas Bixby smiled down at his beloved girl.
"Trudy, you are our ticket to this town forgetting all about how we acquired the money that we have," running one plump hand over her head, her father leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't you like the things that you have Trudy?" Thomas Bixby asked in a gentled tone.
"Of course Papa, but I..."
"But nothing!" he snapped harshly all traces of gentility gone. In its place was the controlling father that Trudy had become used to over the years.
"You will do as you are told. You should know by now that a woman is only as good as the price of her hand in marriage. You are not as important as your brother. A daughter is only a drain on her father's house," Thomas spat angrily. He slammed his hand down hard on the piano top, and Trudy winced. "Your only job is to marry well and breed children who will one day run this damn town. Do you understand me girl?"
"It is not that I want to disappoint you, but I do not think I can manage to get him alone," she pleaded.
"You had better succeed in this Gertrude, or you can say goodbye to all of those pretty baubles we have ever given you. You will be pushed out of this home to beg on the streets if you let me down," her father warned in a hiss, "I do not accept failure."
"Yes papa," Trudy bit her lip to keep from crying. Although she had heard this speech many times over, it still hurt to know how her papa viewed her. How he would always view her as if she were less than worthy of his love. Everything was always about Sebastian. Sebastian hung the moon because he was born with the necessary "parts" that she had not been.
Trudy loved her younger brother, but she found herself resenting him a bit. He did not deserve that emotion as Sebastian was all that was good in the world. A more caring and sweet young man you would never find. She was so very proud of her baby brother's accomplishment of becoming a doctor. It was something that she had dreamt of doing. She knew that to most, the idea of studying medicine was laughable for a woman but not to her brother. Trudy was lucky that Sebastian took the time to allow her to help him with his patients. At his side, she had learned much of the field.
"Now, instead of telling me how you failed to entice the mayor into your web, why don't you tell me what you plan to do next?"
"Papa, can't you at least tell me why you are so keen on my marrying Alec Wentworth?" Trudy asked him.
"Don't trouble yourself with my plans girl. Just figure out a way to make them happen!"
"Yes papa," Trudy whispered as she hung her head shamefully. She wished that just once her father could forget about his greed and love her for something other than just a pawn.
"A good friend, great food and excellent fishing are the ingredients of a happy life."
CHAPTER SIX
Saturday morning at an hour before dawn, Serena found herself pacing by the front door as she waited for her fishing companion. A large sack filled with the lunch that they would share, along with the promised cookies inside was ready to go. It sat next to a large battered, tin pail that she would use to hold all the fish that she was sure to catch. She had also prepared some biscuits for her parents and left them bundled in toweling on the kitchen table along with a crock of jam and a note explaining her whereabouts. She was all set to go.
Serena had dressed herself in an even older, more ragged version of her normal brown garments. Thick sturdy boots that her brother had outgrown in his youth adorned her feet. She loved this ratty, old pair of boots. She had fond memories of donning them and tromping through the valleys of her brother's ranch or trailing after Mathias and Alec as they tended their chores. Sometimes, her brother would even let her participate in the shooting matches that he had held on his ranch, and these boots came in handy.
Long before Alec had become the mayor, he had helped Mathias run the Bar S ranch until her brother had been able to hire Patrick Culver as his foreman. Serena missed those days. She missed seeing Alec relaxed and happy. She missed the teasing banter that he had once had with her. Back when he saw her as a friend and not as an obligation to look after. Before the tension that now flowed between them, there was a time when they had raced each other at neck breaking speeds across the pasture of Mathias's ranch. Riding until their horses refused to run on. Now though, he acted as if she would break into two if she crossed the road unescorted.
Yawning, Serena wound her thick braid into a knot at the nape of her neck and affixed her straw bonnet onto her head. Alec should have been there by now. She wondered what was taking him so long. Snitching a cookie from the old, blue crock by the stove, Serena bit furiously into it while marching back to her post by the front entry.
The soft knock when it came, nearly had her choking on her treat. Brushing off the crumbs that had fallen on her bodice, Serena walked over and opened the door.
"You're late," she snapped at him.
"Good morning to you too Sugarplum," Alec greeted her amused. "I see you are in fine form today."
"Let's just go," grabbing up her sack and the pail, Serena headed for the door and hopped up into the buckboard that he had waiting outside. Watching as Alec gently closed the door behind him and began walking to the wagon she called out, "I'm driving the wagon!"
The pale pinkish-orange sunrise had been beautiful, but it was nothing compared to the sight of the first fish that she had caught. After Alec bet her his half of the cookies that he would be the one to catch the first fish, it was quite a bit of fun to gloat at his loss. The medium sized, slimy bass would be worth every bit of the effort she had put into its capture, just so that she could watch his expression when she bit into those cookies.
It had taken some time to get back into the hang of things, but Serena thoroughly enjoyed fishing. Well, truthfully she only loved fishing after he had baited the hook for her. That was one thing she refused to do. Digging for worms and retrieving them from the ground was not the hard part. She could do that easily. It was sinking the hook into the middle of the worm, where she became squeamish. She did not care how much Alec had laughed and teased her that she was too girly to enjoy the outdoors; she was not going to watch as he baited the hook either.
The hickory poles that Alec had supplied them had been doing their job remarkably well. Alec had added three fish to her four, making their tally in the pail a happy seven by a quarter after ten o'clock. Not too shabby if she had to say so herself.
The day had started warming up, so Alec had shrugged out of his vest and rolled up his sleeves. Even in the worn, faded denim trousers and plaid shirt that he wore, he looked sharply dressed. Serena did not know how he managed that. The muscles in his forearm flexed as he grabbed off his hat and tossed it to the ground.
"We might win this competition yet, Darlin.' Just keep on adding fish to that pail."
"Ha! Got another," she clapped happily at the nibble on her line.
"Heavens, this one is a fighter!" Serena called out as she struggled with her line. "This fish must weigh a hundred pounds!"
"Let me help you," he offered.
Placing his own pole into the small burrow that he had notched in the ground at his feet, Alec walked over to assist her. Wrapping his strong arms about her, he supported the pole with both hands and lifted the rod a bit.
"Sure is a strong one, but don't worry we will get it," Alec assured her as he walked them both backwards. He was hoping to pull the stubborn fish closer to the bank of the lake. When that plan failed to make headway in their fight, he guided her toward the edge of the water.
"Pull up," he ordered.
"I am!" Serena cried out as she struggled with the rod as it bent into an arch. "It is going to snap!"
"No, it's not. Trust me, just pull up a bit harder," he encouraged her as he helped her yank up on the rod.
After long minutes, the struggle was finally over. Together they had managed to snag the biggest, ugliest, channel ca
tfish Serena had ever seen. It's slippery silver body began flopping about on the grassy earth a distance away from the water as Serena jumped for joy.
"We did it!" she cried. Throwing her pole down, Serena flung her arms about his neck and allowed him to swing her about wildly. Laughing, together they celebrated their triumph.
"We sure did woman! That one is going to win us the competition for sure," Alec stopped mid swing and looked down at the woman he held in his arms.
The joy on Serena's face was worth every darn piece of spice candy that he had used to bribe Fergus O'Malley to pretend he was too ill to participate in today's festivities. The old goat had protested Alec's plan at first, so much was Fergus's love of fishing, but quickly changed his mind when Alec had explained his need to spend some time with Serena alone. Alec did not have the heart to tell the meddlesome little matchmaker that he'd had it all wrong. Alec's only agenda was to get his friendship with the stubborn woman back on track and make things right between them once again.
"Why don't we take a break and eat?" Alec suggested as he released his hold on her. Backing up a few steps, he tried to put distance between them.
He had lain awake nearly all night long the night before, just thinking about how it felt to hold the woman in his arms. He did not need another sleepless night. Kissing Serena had been a mistake. He tried to remind himself of that fact repeatedly. The direction in which they had been heading, only heartache waited for her, and Alec hoped to avoid that. Serena was the marrying type and Alec had no plans to shackle himself to any woman.
Alec had finally fallen asleep a few hours before dawn, only to over sleep and face her ire this morning. Letting her drive the wagon this morning without comment on her speed or ability, had gone a long way in soothing her temper.
Walking over to where the fish lay, its gills working madly as it gasped and twitched in the air, Alec thought he could relate to the creature. Something about Serena had always made him feel as if he could not catch his breath. Picking up the frying pan destined fish, Alec cut the line and tied it to a brace that he had quickly made from old line and scattered tree branches. As the thing was too big for the pail she had brought, it could at least rest comfortably tied up in the water as they continued fishing.
A Betting Bride Page 7