The Rancher’s Marriage of Convenience

by Maya Stirling

  A very obvious sense of family love and togetherness.

  Was that what she had missed all this time? A feeling of belonging to a loving family? Was that why she had so emphatically turned away from everything her mother had taught her to believe in?

  Just looking around this room, Rosalind could sense the faith, the confidence, the trust in the will of God that, in the end, everything would turn out for the best. She'd also felt the same when Caleb had said Grace before the meal had commenced. That had been devoutly respected by every member of the family.

  "You look like you're thinking of something," Gideon said quietly as he leaned in close to her. He sipped some of his drink and placed his glass back down on the table.

  Rosalind smiled at him and gazed at everyone sitting around the table. "This has been so wonderful. It's a pity Sophie wasn't here to enjoy it."

  Gideon grunted. "I wouldn't worry about them. She and Nathan are regular visitors up here. They're almost part of the family." He smiled. "Apart from anything else, Nathan comes here whenever we've got problems with rustlers or unwanted visitors. And, once that is attended to, he usually waits around for dinner afterwards."

  "Rustlers?" Rosalind exclaimed incredulously. She already knew how serious that could be from some articles she'd read in magazines. Her voice carried the length of the table. Heads turned in her direction.

  "Who's talking about rustlers?" Caleb asked.

  Gideon looked at his father. "I was just telling Rosalind that Sheriff Nathan likes our dinners," he joked. "Even if it means chasing down imaginary rustlers."

  That comment drew laughter from everyone around the table, including Rosalind who giggled behind the hand she lifted to her mouth.

  Reese pitched in. "It's a serious business having our cattle and horses stolen."

  Caleb waved a dismissive hand at Reese. "It doesn't happen that often," he said. "There's no sense in scaring Rosalind." Caleb looked straight up the length of the table at her. "Usually its some no good drifters who think they can make a quick buck by stealing a few head. It never amounts to much. And they're usually caught pretty quickly."

  "Nevertheless, it's becoming more regular," Reese said slowly. "I'm wondering if Calhoun has something to do with it."

  "There ain't nothing he won't do to turn a few dollars," Eugenie announced.

  All heads nodded at that wise observation.

  "He's got bigger things on his mind," Reese said in a deep, gruff voice. "We all know that," Reese said and then glanced up the table at Rosalind. "I'm truly sorry he bothered you last night, Miss Grover."

  Before she had a chance to reply, Gideon spoke: "I took good care of him," he said. "He got the message."

  "You did well, son," Caleb stated with more than a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Don't you go worrying about the likes of Brett Calhoun, Rosalind. There isn't anything he can do while my boys are around." Caleb turned to face the only other married couple in the room. "He learned that the hard way with Zane and Johanna."

  "He sure did," Johanna agreed. "I notice he doesn't even look at Zane and me whenever we're in town, these days."

  "Well, that's progress," Micah said.

  The sound of unanimous approval filled the room. Suddenly, Gideon seized his glass and stood, gazing down at Rosalind. She felt her cheeks burn instantly with heat as she looked up at him. She knew exactly what he was about to do, and that it meant an uneasy and possibly embarrassing moment for her. Nevertheless, she tried to mask her discomfort behind the blankness of a polite smile.

  "I'd like to propose a toast to our welcome, and very special guest," Gideon said smiling down at Rosalind. Just as she'd expected, she felt her cheeks getting warmer.

  Everyone else lifted their glasses and looked right at Rosalind. They all had happy smiles on their faces. How could it be that a family could welcome an almost complete stranger with such trust and confidence? Even as she asked herself that question, she knew the answer.

  These were good people. It was that simple.

  "To Miss Rosalind Grover," Gideon said, his voice even and steady. "We wish you all the happiness and contentment that Inspiration can bring." Then he added something that could easily be taken in any way she wanted. "And may you enjoy a future of joy in our humble little town. We hope that God grants you the grace of a wise and prudent choice in the days to come."

  Voices joined in agreement and glasses were lifted to lips. The door opened and Hettie, the cook, came in carrying a large glass bowl filled to the brim with fruit, expertly mixed and prepared to a special recipe. There were roars of approval as the dish was set down in the middle of the table. Portions were quickly dished out and the conversation amongst all the Buchanans resumed, filling the room with a steady murmur.

  As she ate from her own plate, Rosalind glanced at Gideon. "Those were very nice words, Gideon," she said.

  His eyes brightened. "You think so?"

  Rosalind nodded. "I do. I appreciated them very much. "

  He looked more pleased about her simple statement than about anything else she'd said to him thus far.

  "I meant what I said," he murmured.

  Rosalind lifted a brow. "About me staying in Inspiration?"

  Gideon shook his head. "No. About the choice you're about to make. It's going to be very important. And not just for you."

  She hurriedly spooned some fruit into her mouth. Her heartbeat had quickened upon hearing his words, and her mind had become a sudden blank. Regaining her composure, she forced herself to smile. "I'm sure Sophie wants everything to turn out well," she said.

  Gideon placed his spoon down onto his plate. "I wasn't talking about Sophie," he said in a quiet, even voice.

  Rosalind glanced along the table and saw that, thankfully, no-one was paying attention to her conversation with Gideon. She saw Gideon lift a brow and gaze at her for a long moment. She cleared her throat and busied herself with her food for a few moments. When, at last, she looked up she saw that he was still gazing at her. There was a softness in his eyes that she found appealing. There was not even a hint of rejection in his look. Nothing left over from last night's misunderstandings.

  She attended to her food again, wondering what he had in mind for the next few days. She asked herself if this courtship would continue. Because that was what it was, she told herself. Instantly, she was sure it would continue. She'd seen plenty of evidence this evening that it would do so.

  Gideon Buchanan was still courting her, still interested in taking her as his wife, in spite of her admission that her faith had been seriously weakened. Why would he do such a thing? Didn't her lack of belief mean that she was not suitable as his wife? Surely there were other more suitable women for him to choose from in Inspiration.

  And then a question came to her mind. As it did so, she had to force herself not to look at him. She was sure her features would have betrayed the thought. She didn't want that to happen.

  The question had been very simple, but it had affected her deeply. Because if the answer to it was in the positive, she wasn't sure what was going to happen in the coming days and beyond.

  Was it possible that Gideon Buchanan was beginning to have feelings for her, and was he now absolutely determined to take her as his wife?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  When she emerged from the Buchanan house after dinner, the night sky was dark and the air was cool. A full moon cast a silvery glow across everything. She stepped out onto the porch and, feeling the slight coolness of the night air, wrapped her arms around herself. Gideon was by her side, and the rest of the family were still indoors. She could hear them all talking animatedly, just as they'd done for the past two hours.

  She heard sounds of voices from the direction of the bunkhouse over past the barn. That was probably some of the ranch hands settling down for the night after enjoying their own food, she told herself. Light from the ranch house cast a warm glow across the front yard.

  "You want to sit for a while?" Gideon asked, ge
sturing toward the bench on the porch.

  Rosalind shook her head. "I think I'll stretch my legs," she told him.

  She stepped off the porch and onto the yard's dusty surface. He walked alongside her, remaining silent for the moment. It was as if he was giving her the chance to take in the peace of this place, she told herself. The sheer tranquility of this family home out in the wilderness.

  It was almost a miracle that such a place could exist in amongst the wilds of Montana. She tried to imagine how hard the family must have worked to build this place. They must have made so many sacrifices to make a place like this, she reflected. Day after day, working hard to wrest order from the beautiful chaos of this land.

  But, what an achievement it was. The Buchanan family had created a sanctuary here, a treasured place, a refuge from the world.

  Suddenly she understood what was at stake for the Buchanans. They stood to lose it all if the unfairness of the government's changes allowed others to steal what the family had built. It didn't seem fair.

  No, it was worse than that, she told herself. It was unjust.

  She wandered over toward the stable. From inside, she could hear the horses shifting in their stalls. She went over to the corral and leaned on the fence. From out beyond the ranch, the steady, low sound of unseen insects was a background murmur. For a few moments, she let the peace of the ranch take hold of her, allowing it to possess her spirit, calming her after the excitement of the last couple of hours.

  Rosalind breathed in slowly, feeling herself become more relaxed by the moment. She'd never known a calmness like this, she told herself.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of peace, Gideon spoke: "I believe my family kinda like you," he said. It was such a simple statement, uttered with barely contained pleasure.

  She glanced at him and lifted a brow. "You think so?" she asked, pretend surprise in her voice.

  He nodded. The corners of his eyes crinkled with good humor. "I can tell."

  "And I suppose they'd say if they didn't like me?" she asked.

  He rolled his eyes. "They wouldn't be quite so friendly. Not from the get-go, at least," he replied. "I think they took to you from the moment we all sat down at the dinner table." He smiled. "Or maybe it was because you walked out on me last night."

  She squinted at him. "You're saying that, if they hadn't approved of me, they would have thrown me out even after helping out in the kitchen this afternoon? They were testing me even while I was preparing their dinner?" She shook her head. "Well, I never," she exclaimed and smiled in pretend outrage.

  Gideon laughed, the sound of his voice drifting out across the emptiness and all the way into the dark beyond the ranch house. She knew they had just been teasing each other. Like they'd done the previous night. She was glad that they'd been able to regain that sense of fun when it came to being in each other's company.

  Gideon leaned closer to Rosalind. There was a sudden sincerity in his gaze. Just like there had been back inside the house at the dinner table. In the dim light from the house, his features seemed softer. His eyes still had a brightness that even the darkness of the night couldn't dim.

  "I'm sure glad you stayed for dinner, Rosalind," he said. "It meant a whole lot to me."

  She smiled warmly at him. "And to me, Gideon. It was a real pleasure. You're so lucky to have such a beautiful family." She glanced around the ranch. "And such a lovely place to live."

  He nodded. "I know," he said softly. "I remind myself of that same thing every day." His voice was quiet and deep and seemed to wrap itself around her. There was a warmth to that voice, she told herself. She could imagine getting used to listening to it. Especially at night, out here on the ranch, during warm summer evenings. Just the thought of that gave her a warm sensation in her middle.

  She drew in a sharp breath, aware that her thoughts were drifting again. Drifting to things that might never happen. Impossibilities. She felt her shoulders tighten and some of the calm ease out of her.

  Gideon seemed to sense the change in her. His eyes narrowed and he moved closer. "Is anything wrong?"

  She moved slightly away from him and shook her head. "No, Gideon. Quite the opposite, in fact." She sighed. "Everything couldn't be more perfect," she said.

  Rosalind saw him frown. She turned away from him and looked up at the sky, taking in the glorious sight of the star-filled expanse. Looking up at it, she felt suddenly small, as if she was so insignificant that nothing she did would ever make any difference.

  Gideon moved to face her. "Did something that was said over dinner upset you?" he asked, an urgency in his voice.

  Rosalind wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. "No, Gideon. I suppose it's just that I've never known anything like this place." She ran her gaze around the front of the house. "It's like a little piece of heaven has been left here on earth."

  He smiled. "That's funny," he said.

  "What?"

  "I've been telling myself that all my life," he admitted. "It's one reason why my faith became stronger over the years. I'm so grateful that the Lord has blessed us with all of this." He sighed. "Every day I pray and thank the Lord for everything he has given us."

  Rosalind listened to his words, letting them take hold of her mind. Suddenly she felt an envy in her heart. Envy for that kind of certainty, that intensity of faith. For a moment, she was seized with a need to understand how he could feel like that.

  "But, haven't the recent events affected the way you feel about that? Don't you ever have doubts?" She saw his brows furrow. "I mean, your family stand to lose it all. And it could all end up in the hands of someone who is just plain malevolent."

  "It's like the story of Job," he said bluntly.

  Rosalind paused a long moment, recalling her days reading the Bible with her mother. She squinted at him. "You mean it's like a test of your faith?"

  Gideon nodded. "Faith is something that is always being tested. Moment by moment. Day by day. It's never easy. Every day is a battle." Gideon's voice quivered with emotion. "I feel that every morning when I wake and pray to God and thank him for another day. Thank him for a chance to serve Him. To obey Him." He breathed out heavily.

  She could see the emotion in his eyes, the sudden sternness of his features. "Some days are hard. Make no mistake about that, Rosalind. But it is all worth it. If it means I can serve my God. If I can understand what he wants from me. And do it. Even if it means making hard choices." His gaze darkened suddenly. "Making sacrifices. And that's what I try to do. Make the necessary sacrifices for others."

  For a few long moments there was silence between them. She gazed at him and saw the earnestness in his expression. This was who he was, she told herself. This was the real man who wanted to court her. The man who wanted to marry her. What he was offering was a life on a ranch. A good life, even if, at times it was hard and demanding. Rosalind knew she was no stranger to hard work. But Gideon possessed something she didn't. She realized she was standing alongside a man whose belief in God was so much stronger than hers.

  And what had he meant about making sacrifices? Was that a hint that taking her as a wife would involve making painful compromises? That somehow she would be a burden to him?

  For a moment, she wasn't quite sure what to make of that. It was true they were still strangers to one another. But, if they became man and wife, that would change over time. And, out here, in a place like Circle Cross ranch, they would never be apart from one another. Her life would be utterly different from anything she had ever known.