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

by Cheryl Wright

  She arrived back at the café not long before the noon rush, her heart pounding. “Well, did it arrive?” Bunny asked, as she had done every day.

  She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out the neatly addressed envelope. “It did!” Marigold said excitedly. “I haven’t opened it yet.”

  “Then open it!!”

  Marigold turned the envelope over and began to rip open the sealed envelope. Her head shot up as the door to the café opened. Their first luncheon customer, and he wouldn’t be the last. With a heavy heart, she shoved the letter back into her skirt pocket.

  “Later,” Bunny whispered. “It won’t change anything now.” She returned to the kitchen, and Marigold saw to their customers.

  It wasn’t long before Luke arrived, and her heart fluttered. No matter what Ma said, being in the same room as Luke did things to her. How could loving someone this much feel so wrong? She felt him staring at her and lifted her head. Their eyes met, and the two stood staring at each other for far too long. Marigold had work to do, and Luke was a distraction she didn’t need right now.

  She scooped up a mug and along with the coffee pot, headed to his table. After she’d poured his coffee, he reached out and held her hand. The want in his eyes was almost overwhelming. “Sit down and talk to me,” he said quietly. “I’ve missed you far too much today.”

  She threw him the hint of a smile. How she would love to do that, but the customers were piling in now, and she had to tend to them. “You know I can’t. Look around – the café is filling up already.”

  He glanced about. “I don’t really care,” he whispered. “Let them wait.”

  She was shocked at his words, and didn’t know how to reply, so she didn’t. Instead she wrenched her hand out of his, and walked away.

  “Marigold...” she heard him call after her. It took all her effort to ignore him. She scurried into the kitchen and picked up the first order, then delivered it. She glanced across at Luke who gazed at her with longing. How she would love to go to him.

  No matter what Ma said, she still loved Luke. Loved him far too much for her liking. It was clouding her judgement. Perhaps The Lovelorn would put things into perspective for her. Marigold reached down into her pocket and fingered the envelope. She longed to open it right now and read the words. Hopefully words of reassurance, but she had to prepare herself for the worst scenario.

  Bunny dinged the bell, indicating the next meal was ready to be served. She almost ran in the kitchen, happy to be away from Luke’s constant scrutiny. Today he’d ordered Chicken Pot Pie, and now she had to deliver it to him. She glanced up at Bunny. “Can’t you serve him?”

  The cook’s head shot up. “I’m sorry. I would if I had time, but I simply don’t.” She looked remorseful, and Marigold suddenly felt bad for even suggesting it.

  “No, I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have asked.” She carried the meal out to Luke’s table, and watched as a grin spread across his face. No matter the circumstances, he was always pleased to see her.

  Walking toward his table felt like it took hours, but it was only twenty seconds at most. He watched her every move, which made her feel self-conscious. It shouldn’t, this very same thing happened every day he came here to eat.

  She placed the meal in front of him, and as he’d done every time she approached his table he snatched up her hand. Today though he kissed the back of her palm. A shudder went through her.

  “I thought we could go for a drive Sunday after church,” he said quietly. “I can hire a carriage, and we can go into the hills.” He eyes begged her to say yes.

  “I,” Should she go? Much as she wanted, they would be unchaperoned. She stared down into his handsome face. He looked tired, ragged even, and she wondered if she was the cause of that.

  “Don’t say no. Please?” He almost begged her and she felt suddenly guilty. Should she reply before reading The Lovelorn’s letter? Should she even place her future on a letter? Her heart pounded thinking about it all.

  Her train of thought was interrupted by the bell in the kitchen. “I have to go,” she said, then scurried off.

  She glanced back over her shoulder momentarily, and saw Luke had begun eating. Was she merely a distraction while he waited for his food? Sometimes she thought so. Other times she thought it was simply Luke taking care of himself. Once he was at work, he didn’t eat for hours. She couldn’t deny him the self-care he needed to practice.

  “Hearty beef and vegetable soup with hot rolls,” Bunny said. “Mr Jenkins.” Marigold nodded absently, then delivered the meal to the customer. She noticed his coffee was empty, and scurred back for the coffee pot, filling his mug. She glanced up and saw Luke indicate his mug needed filling too. Only when she arrived, it was totally full.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I just wanted you near me.” He grinned at her, and she scowled. His grin soon disappeared.

  “I’m busy,” she snapped at him, then hurried back to the coffee hub. For a moment she forgot he was a paying customer too. She shouldn’t have gone off at him like that, but he tried her patience some days. She stared his way, only to find him staring back, pain written all over his face.

  She refilled the pot then headed to his table. At the very least she would clear away his soiled dishes. “I apologize,” she said as she piled the dishes onto a tray. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”

  His arm snaked up around her waist, and her heart pounded. His touch always sent fire blazing through her. As much as she fought it, just being near him did things to her. “Yes,” she said, then stared down at him. “I’ll come with you Sunday.”

  He stood and pulled her closer. “If there was space, I’d pick you up and twirl you about.” He would too. He’d done it before, on more than one occasion.

  “Then I am more than a little pleased there is no space,” she said seriously, then grinned at him, and waited for his kiss. She licked her lips in anticipation.

  Luke stood staring, hovering over her. The longer he studied her, the more she wanted him to kiss her. Did he do that on purpose? Was he trying to torment her, to make her want him more? She suspected the answer was yes to all those questions. “Well, I have to get back to work now,” she said, staring into his eyes.

  “You are nothing but a minx,” he whispered, then leaned down and kissed her. Marigold leaned into him. She loved the feel of him, reveled in being in his arms, and enjoyed it very much when he kissed her.

  How could she even contemplate giving up this man? She needed to read the letter and make her decision before it was too late to turn back.

  A thought struck her. Perhaps it was far too late already.

  ~*~

  The rest of the day went slowly. Customers trickled in over the next few hours, some wanted coffee only, others wanted cake as well.

  Then the rush for supper began. Marigold was anxious to open and read her letter, but simply didn’t have the time. As things slowed down in the café, she began to scrub down the tables ready for the next day, when they would do it all over again.

  “Come on then,” Bunny insisted, when the last customer left and she locked the door behind him. “What does it say?”

  Marigold snatched the letter out of her skirt pocket. She held it out in front of her, then pulled it close and breathed in. There was the slightest aroma of perfume. As she’d already guessed, The Lovelorn was a woman.

  She tore at the envelope and pulled the letter out. For just a moment Marigold stared at the folded paper, her heart pounding. Did this letter hold the key to her happiness?

  “Oh for goodness sakes,” Bunny snapped, then reach over and tried to grab it, almost ripping the delicate paper. Marigold was surprised – in her wildest dreams she didn’t suspect Bunny would do such a thing. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” Bunny said, in her most apologetic voice.

  “It’s fine.” Marigold unfolded the paper slowly, being far more careful since the paper was torn.

  Dear Miserable
in Montana,

  It sounds to me as though you are completely in love with your young man. Most likely it’s too late for you to have second thoughts – if you’re as much in love as you say.

  While your mother may have an unpopular opinion of your true love, you are the one who will spend the rest of your life with him should he propose. If you can’t bring her around to your way of thinking, you may, after all have to give him up.

  Are you certain you’re not interested in bad boys? They might not be so bad after all. (And this one sounds quite appealing.)

  Yours Truly,

  The Lovelorn

  Marigold read the letter, then read it again. “I waited all this time for nothing,” she said, quite annoyed. She then handed the letter to Bunny who read it carefully.

  “What do you think it says?” Bunny studied her, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

  She snatched the letter back and began to fold it, ready to stuff into the envelope. “That I have to give Luke up because Ma hates him.”

  “Let me see that again.” Bunny stared at her, then re-read the letter. “That is not how I read it. But it’s your letter, not mine,” she said handing the letter back. She then began to fill a container with cornbread, biscuits and stew. There was even some leftover blackberry cobbler.

  Marigold studied the letter again. “Are you sure?”

  “Sure as I can be,” Bunny said, then handed her the bag full of food. “Time to go before the sky becomes dark. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Thank you,” Marigold said, then hugged Bunny as best she could with her hands full. They’d become very close over the past few weeks, and to be honest, she wasn’t sure what she would do without the woman who was not only her boss, but had become her friend and confidante.

  She strolled home in the semi-darkness, contemplating the letter. She needed to read it again, but that couldn’t happen with Ma around. And what did The Lovelorn mean about getting Ma on side? She wasn’t sure that could ever happen. Ma hated Luke with all her heart. Marigold was far from certain that would ever change.

  Entering the kitchen, she prepared their supper, not saying much at all. It was a problem that would take a lot of solving, and she wasn’t sure it was even possible.

  “Supper smells delicious,” Ma said, bringing Marigold out of her thoughts. She put on a brave face. Ma had no idea how much her heart had shattered.

  Chapter Eight

  Marigold strolled to the livery, her arm through Luke’s. They’d packed a picnic lunch and headed out straight after church.

  Ma was not happy about her going unchaperoned, but Marigold was almost beyond caring what Ma thought. She was constantly coming between her and Luke, and that just wouldn’t do.

  After reading and re-reading her letter from The Lovelorn, Marigold made the decision to continue seeing Luke. Whether or not that came to anything, she had no idea. She loved Luke, but he didn’t love her. Nonetheless, she enjoyed his company.

  He helped her climb up onto the carriage, and his touch sent a thrill through her, as it always did. Once she was settled, he climbed up himself, pulling a thick woolen blanket around their knees. The days continued to be chilly, and Marigold wore her luxurious coat gifted to her by Luke, which kept out most of the cold. She didn’t really need the blanket, but said not a word. She enjoyed being close to Luke, and hoped he liked being close to her too.

  “Shall we go?” he asked, not waiting for an answer, then snapped the reins for the horses to move, and covered her hand with his own.

  It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the foot of the mountain, twenty minutes perhaps, but Luke ventured further in until they were deep into the forest. Marigold felt somewhat afraid. She wasn’t frightened of Luke, she would never feel that way, but she was afraid they may get lost.

  She tightened her grip on his hand. He turned to face her. “Is everything alright?”

  “Do you know the way,” she whispered, having no idea why she whispered as they were the only people around. “I’m afraid we may get lost.”

  He grinned at her then quickened the pace of the horses. “Not a chance. There’s a small clearing over there by the river. I thought we could picnic there.” He studied her, apparently waiting for some sort of reaction, so she nodded.

  “Oooh, it’s lovely,” she said as they pulled into the clearing. Luke climbed down, tying the horses to a nearby bush, then helped her down. He grabbed her around the waist, and held her halfway, staring into her face as he did so. “Are you going to put me down?” she asked when he seemed to have no inclination to place her on solid ground.

  He slowly brought her down and steadied her, but he didn’t let go. His hands were firmly planted around her waist. “You are incredibly beautiful,” he said quietly, then held her close. She rested her head against his shoulder, not sure how to answer, or even if she should.

  Suddenly her head snapped up. She shouldn’t be doing this. Not here, not alone and without a chaperone. As much as she hated to admit it, Ma was right; this was a very bad idea. She pulled away and began to wander over to the river’s edge. She leaned down and let the water roll over her fingers. “The water is freezing!” she said as she straightened up, and Luke came to her side.

  “Let me warm you up,” he said, taking her hands in his own. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, then enveloped her hand, warming it as he’d promised. “I love coming to this place,” he told her. “It was the one thing we did as a family. Once a month after church we’d come here. We didn’t move to the area until I was a teenager, as you know, but I adored coming here. Father and I would fish, and Mother would simply sit and relax. The rest of the week we worked.”

  Marigold could see they were fond memories for him. “I can see why you liked it here. It’s wonderful,” she said. “So peaceful.”

  He turned to her. It was then she saw the sadness in his eyes. “That wasn’t it at all. It was the one time my parents didn’t act like money-hungry monsters. They were simply Mother and Father.”

  For the first time, Marigold was beginning to understand Luke. She’d had no idea his childhood had been so difficult. She’d erroneously assumed because he’d lived a privileged life, it was all honey and roses. She couldn’t have been further from the truth.

  He shook his head. “Forget all that. Today is about us. About making new memories with just the two of us.”

  She liked that thought. Memories of her and Luke – that sounded wonderful. But how long would they last? If she had her way, it would be forever, but what about Ma? She threatened to stand between them, and as much as Marigold didn’t want her to do that, she also didn’t want to lose Luke.

  Her dilemma was suffocating her.

  He studied her as he continued to warm her hand. “What are you thinking?” He looked at her curiously, as though he was trying to read her mind.

  She shook her head. “Oh, it’s nothing really.” She stepped away from him and glanced about. “It really is lovely here. Perhaps we could go for a short stroll?” He offered her his arm, and they moved out of the clearing into the density of the trees. She shuddered. Marigold wasn’t sure if it was because of the coldness compared to the clearing, or whether it was because she was alone with Luke in an unfamiliar place.

  “Cold?” His arm was suddenly around her waist, and warmth filled her.

  She turned to face him. “Not really. I, I don’t really know what I feel. Foreboding perhaps.” She tried to smile, but right now that would be a lie. “Can we go back, Luke? I don’t feel comfortable here.”

  “Of course.” He didn’t seem angry or upset, and totally accepted her discomfort.

  “There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he said gently as they returned to the horses. Was he breaking up with her? If their roles were reversed, Marigold would certainly consider it. Ma was a formidable opponent, and not one to back down without a fight. She would wear anyone down.

  “It’s Ma, isn’t it?”
she said without thinking. “She’s only trying to protect me.”

  He stopped walking and studied her again. “Your Ma can be pretty scary, but no, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.” He put his hands to her shoulders, and stared at her lips. She waited for his kiss, and almost sank into him. Luke cupped her face, and as if deciding on his next move, simply stood there as though checking her out. Finally he leaned in and kissed her.

  She sighed at the feel of his lips. She’d always thought they were meant to be together, and now she was convinced of it. Marigold wanted nothing more than to be with Luke. Only one thing got in the way of that, and it was Ma.

  When he ended the kiss, Luke held her at arms length and stared at her. He said not a word for a full minute, a frown on his face.

  “Is something wrong?” Her heart thudded. Now she was certain he was breaking up with her. She squeezed her eyes tight together. “You’re breaking up with me,” she said, her voice full of emotion.

  As she tried to turn away from him, Luke pulled her back to face him. “You couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said quietly. “I love you, Marigold, more than you will ever know.” He pulled her to him and held her tight.

  Her heart pounded in her chest. Luke loved her? He truly loved her? This was the best news, and was totally unexpected. “I love you too,” she said softly. “I didn’t know you loved me.” Tears trickled from her eyes, and she swiped at them. But they had a problem and they both knew it.

  He stared at her with sadness. “This is meant to be a happy time,” he said, then suddenly dropped to one knee. “Marigold,” he said, reaching for her hand. “Will you marry me?”

  She stared down at him in disbelief. He was asking the impossible. How could they marry when her mother hated him? On the other hand Marigold loved him. They were soulmates and meant to be together.