Miserable in Montana (Yours Truly: The Lovelorn Book 16)

by Cheryl Wright

  Miserable in Montana

  Book 16

  Yours Truly: The Lovelorn

  Cheryl Wright

  Copyright

  Miserable in Montana

  (Yours Truly: The Lovelorn Series – Book Sixteen)

  Copyright ©2020 by Cheryl Wright

  Cover Artist: Black Widow Books

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Table of Contents

  Thanks

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  From the Author

  About the Author

  Thanks

  Thanks to my very dear friends (and authors), Margaret Tanner and Susan Horsnell for their enduring encouragement and friendship.

  To Alan, my husband of over 45 years, who has been a relentless supporter of my writing for many years, thank you.

  Thanks also to the ladies in my Facebook Reader Group for your never-ending help with characters names, titles, and relentless support. I love you all!

  And last, but by no means least, thank you to all my wonderful readers who encourage me to continue writing these stories. It is such a joy to me knowing so many of you enjoy reading my stories. I love writing them as much as you love reading them.

  Chapter One

  Harrietville, Montana – 1880

  “Wait up, Marigold,” Luke Jensen called. “Wait up!” he shouted with annoyance as she continued to walk away from him.

  Marigold Davis continued her quest toward home, her step a little quicker than before. If there was one thing Ma drummed into her, it was to avoid Luke Jensen at all costs. After all, he was one of the bad boys in town, and she must never hang around his sort.

  Despite her resistance, Luke quickly caught up, his long legs sure to be the reason. She dared not look at him but instead, glanced sideways. He was easy on the eyes, and no matter what Ma said, she didn’t mind stealing a glance or two. He suddenly stepped in front of her, running his hands through his slicked back hair, glistening in the sunlight.

  “You need to move, Luke,” she said, looking him up and down. Marigold suddenly felt warm all over.

  Instead he stood grinning down at her, and she melted. He always did make her feel this way, ever since they met when she was fifteen years old and was working part time in the Mercantile. She guessed Luke went there to see her, because he never bought much, only a few sweets. Sometimes he just hung around.

  “You look beautiful today, Marigold,” he said, his face softening. “That hat looks real pretty on you.”

  Did that mean she didn’t look pretty without the hat? She glared at him.

  “I mean...” He ran his fingers through his hair again. “I didn’t mean nothing bad by it. You know that.”

  He studied her with those dreamy chocolate colored eyes, like maybe he wasn’t sure she did know what he meant. “Do I?” She was teasing him now. It was a cat and mouse game they’d often played. Luke was well aware of her mother’s opinion of him. Gutter trash, that’s what Ma always said, and maybe it was true, maybe it wasn’t. Either way, it wasn’t Luke’s fault. He had no choice in what life dished out to him.

  Suddenly, he changed tack. “Come to the dance with me Saturday night?”

  It was her turn to study him. He sure was good looking, and it would feel mighty fine to arrive at the dance on his strong arm. What would it be like to be held by him as they danced?

  “Marigold? Are you even listening to me?” He was in front of her again, this time glaring at her. At least she thought he was. The expression came and went in a heartbeat.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said as she came back to the present. The moment the words were out, she wished them gone. Ma would never allow it, and Marigold would never think of betraying her. As fragile as she was, Ma worked hard to support them both by doing cleaning jobs. Marigold helped with the household income by working at the Mercantile when there was work available. It was the best she could manage. Even then she was certain she had that job out of pity. Sometimes it riled her, but mostly she was grateful her boss was looking out for her.

  “So what do you say?” He bent down to her height and stared right into her eyes. They were face to face, and their lips were oh so close. It was her undoing.

  “Oh for goodness sakes,” she said breathlessly. “If I say yes will you leave me alone?”

  He fist pumped the air and picked her up, spinning her around until she begged him to stop. He placed her gently back on the sidewalk, and caught her in his arms when she went off balance. She wondered if he’d done it on purpose, so he could hold her.

  She breathed in his cologne, not able to help herself, then relaxed into him. Luke pulled her closer still, and it felt nice. She felt protected in his arms, and she didn’t want him to let go.

  Then she remembered her mother’s words and pulled out of his grip. He’ll pull you down to his level, that one, Ma had said. But Luke wasn’t like that. Luke was... special.

  ~*~

  “Where are you off to?” Ma called from her bed. She was ailing tonight and Marigold almost called off her plans to go to the dance with Luke.

  “I’m not going, Ma,” she called back. “I’ll stay home and look after you.” Luke would be disappointed for sure, and so would Marigold. Ma had done so much for her over the years, and it was time to pay her back, even if it was only by being on hand in case she needed something.

  She spun around at the shuffling noise behind her. “Ma! What are you doing out of bed? You’ll catch a chill.” She quickly closed the distance between them and led her mother back to bed. It was the middle of winter, and Ma was already unwell. She didn’t need a chill to make things worse.

  As she lay Ma down in the crumpled bed, she noticed the fire had almost burned out. “Let me fix that fire before I do anything else.” She fiddled with the fire and got it going, careful not to soil her one and only party gown.

  “You going to the dance?” Ma’s shaky voice made her heart break in two.

  She glanced over her shoulder. “No Ma. I’m staying home tonight. There will be other dances.” As the flames licked at the twigs and logs, Marigold stood.

  Ma began to sit up, and slid her legs out of the bed. “You need to get back into bed,” Marigold admonished her mother. She lay back down immediately, a frown on her face. Her daughter lifted her legs and tucked them under the blankets.

  “I’ll only stay in bed if you go to the dance,” she said, her voice low. “Which young man are you going with?”

  Marigold crossed her fingers behind her back. If Ma knew she was going with Luke, she’d explode. But she wasn’t really going with him – she was making her own way to the dance. “I’m going alone,” she said, knowing she was pushing the truth with that statement.

  Ma stared at her, then motioned her closer. She kissed her only child’s cheek. “Enjoy yourself,” she said, then closed her eyes as if dismissing further discussion.

  As she left the room, Marigold felt more than a little guilty. She had lied to Ma by omission. Sure she was meeting Luke at the dance, but in truth, she
would be with him throughout the night. Why Ma hated Luke’s family she would never know. Not that she knew a lot about them – it wasn’t a subject that had ever been discussed. Even when Pa was alive any talk of the Jensen’s was shut down.

  She returned to her bedroom in the loft and finished preparing for the dance. Her party gown was a hand-me-down from cousin Mary, but it was still a favorite amongst the few gowns she owned. They’d never had much money, even when Pa was alive, but it wasn’t something Marigold liked to dwell on. That sort of thing never helped no-one, Ma always said, and she was right.

  They had food on the table, a roof over their heads, and clothes to wear. It would be far easier though, if Marigold managed to find a job that was more than just a few hours a couple of days a week.

  She fashioned her hair so it hung down around her shoulders, and placed her most favorite hat on her head. The colors matched her gown, and the flowers enhanced her face. At least she thought so. What Luke would think was an entirely different thing.

  Marigold pulled on her white gloves, and put on her thick coat. It had definitely seen better days, but the best she had.

  She was ready to leave but would say goodbye to Ma first. She stood in the doorway watching Ma sleep. She watched her chest go up and down, convinced she was still alive. If she was dying, would Ma even tell her? She thought not.

  Satisfied her mother was still alive, she quietly left the room and opened the front door. She locked it behind her then headed down the short path to the street. As she turned the corner, she saw the silhouette of a man on the corner. Right where she needed to go to get to the dance. It made her hesitate.

  She was about to cross the road to avoid him when he hurried toward her. Her heart thundered in her chest. “Marigold,” he called out. “Where are you going?”

  She sighed in relief at the sound of Luke’s voice. “What are you doing here,” she asked firmly. “I said I’d meet you there.” Annoyance filled her, but she was also grateful it was him.

  He glanced about. “There was no way I was letting you walk there alone. Anyone could be lurking about.”

  That made her smile. “Like you, do you mean?”

  Her words made her chuckle, and he joined in. “I guess so.”

  He offered her his arm, and she gladly took it. She might have been annoyed with him earlier, but now she was relieved. Luke was right – anyone could be lurking about. Especially on this side of town. It wasn’t the safest place at night.

  She glanced up at the handsome man escorting her to the dance, and a zing went through her. How long had she pined after Luke Jensen? It was over a decade now, but instead of silly teenagers, they were both adults. To her disgust, she still wanted him as much now as she did back then.

  When they arrived at the hall, Luke pulled out two tickets and handed them over. The atmosphere was alive, and Marigold was glad Ma had pushed her into coming. Couples were on the dance floor, standing close to each other and swaying to the music. Streamers hung from the walls, giving the place a party feel.

  “Come on,” Luke said, helping her out of her threadbare coat and handing it over for safekeeping. “Let’s dance.”

  She studied him. “We’ve just arrived.” Despite her protests, he pulled her onto the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her. Marigold rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating fast and steady, and wondered what he was thinking. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, far from it, and she wondered if she was in his thoughts.

  His arm wandered from around her back, to a little lower down. “Luke Jensen!” She pulled herself away from him in time to see him grin. “It is far from funny,” she said, then stormed over to one of the chairs scattered about the room.

  He didn’t look the least bit guilty, in fact he looked rather elated. “If I promise to keep my hands to myself, will you come and dance with me again?” The grin was finally gone, but he still didn’t look as though he regretted his actions. “Please?”

  She waited for him to apologize, but the words never came. She truly believed he wasn’t the least bit sorry. Deep down she felt delighted about what he’d done. It cemented what she’d always thought, that Luke had feelings for her.

  On the other hand, he might just think she was an easy target. Now she wasn’t sure whether she should be angry with him or not. But Luke wasn’t the sort of person you could stay angry with for long.

  The music stopped and she was suddenly disappointed. “Too late,” she said quietly. Not that she would admit to enjoying being in his arms, but there would be other chances tonight. At least she hoped there would be.

  Luke sat beside her and took her hand. His thumb caressed the back of her hand, and she wondered how many other women he’d done this same thing to. She glanced up to see him staring at her.

  He brushed back a stray lock of her hair. “You are so beautiful, Marigold,” he said quietly. “You always were.” He reached out and his other thumb traced the lines of her lips.

  Her heart rate kicked up and he continued to hold her hand. Without warning, the music started again. “Come on, let’s dance,” he said, pulling her onto the dance floor. She didn’t refuse.

  Once again he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. “Keep your hands to yourself this time,” she warned, and he grinned down at her.

  “I’ll try,” he said. “But I’m not making any promises.” She never tired of seeing that grin. When he grinned his dimples kicked in, and she always found them hard to resist. It reminded her of the time he’d pulled her behind the church hall away from everyone else, and kissed her.

  She was sixteen and he was almost eighteen. He’d pinned her against the wall so she couldn’t escape, then stared down into her eyes. She thought she was going to melt – to think that Luke Jensen had picked her out of all the girls in town. It was enough to make a young girl swoon. His arms went up around her back and he pulled her roughly to him, much how an inexperienced teenage boy would. Her heart had pounded. If Pa had found out, he would have belted the living daylights out of Luke. She was absolutely certain of it.

  As she’d stared into his alluring brown eyes, Luke suddenly covered her mouth with his. He seemed to stay that way for ages, and she eventually had to pull back so she could breathe. Thinking about it now, he must have thought her the amateur she was. He’d stared down at her and grinned, then released her. Marigold ran away as fast as she could, never telling a soul about their encounter.

  He’d pursued her ever since.

  “This is nice,” he said quietly, and she nodded in response. She didn’t want to break the spell she was under. Instead she tightened her grip on him, and snuggled closer. “We should do this more often,” he said, and she glanced up at him.

  “It might be difficult,” she whispered. “You know how Ma feels about you.” Saying the words out loud filled her with sadness. She really liked Luke, despite his bad reputation, and would willingly spend more time with him. Upsetting Ma was the last thing she wanted to do.

  She heard him sigh. “I don’t know what I ever did to make your mother hate me,” he said softly. “I’m not a bad person.”

  Marigold knew it was true. Luke was always gentle with her, if a little pushy. Despite that, this was the first time she’d agreed to go out with him, and she was so pleased that she had. She’d always worried what Ma would think, but she was a grown woman now – it was her choice entirely.

  Chapter Two

  Luke walked her right to her front door despite Marigold’s protests. “What if Ma comes out,” she whispered, not wanting to give them away.

  Instead of waiting for an answer, she stared into his eyes, then leaned against him. Luke’s hands made their way up her back where he caressed her. She sank into him.

  His fingers were suddenly under her chin, coercing her to look up at him. Was he going to kiss her like he had all those years ago? She sure hoped so, but she worried what Ma would say if she found out.

  She licked her lips
and moments later he swooped on her lips. She felt herself melt against him like she had that day behind the church hall. For some strange reason she wanted to run away like she had back then. Luke’s strong arms held her in place and all thoughts of running disappeared.

  Every time she saw him it reminded her of that day. She’d dreamed of kissing him so many nights since, and now it was happening, she wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do.

  She heard herself quietly groan and opened her eyes. “I, I can’t be doing this,” she said quietly as she pushed him away. “What if Ma comes out?”

  He grinned at her. “What if your Ma comes out? You are grown now, Marigold.” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. “It’s your choice who you go out with, not your Ma’s.” Luke was right, she knew he was, but she felt a certain loyalty to her mother, who had looked out for her all these years.

  She stared up at him, and he licked his lips. “Marigold.” His words came out on a breath, and he leaned in to kiss her again. She pushed him away from her, but he was too strong and pulled her closer.

  Her heart pounded, not because she was worried he’d do something against her will, because she knew he wouldn’t, but because of their closeness. She’d waited so long for this.

  His hands were suddenly cupping her face, and he leaned into her. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. He stood staring down at her as though waiting for her consent. She nodded and he kissed her.

  Everything around her ceased to exist. Her heart pounded and a thrill ran through her. It was like fireworks going off inside her.

  “Is that you out there, Marigold?”

  She heard her Ma’s voice moments before the door flew open, and they pulled apart. Luke stood planted to the ground. Irritation ran through her. “It’s only me, Ma,” she called hoping her mother would go away, but it was too late.

  “You! What are you doing here, Luke Jensen?” Ma demanded. Marigold glanced up at him, her heart pounding.