Western Bride

by Janelle Daniels

  Lucas smiled. “Much better than last time, I agree. Now that we’re here, what are your plans? Normally, I would never ask such a thing, but for the next few times you come into town, I’d like to know so I can make sure you’re safe.”

  Each of the women vocalized what they would like to do, and Lucas nodded. “Would any of you like an escort?”

  Emery shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d like to start out how I plan on continuing.” She looked around at the group. “I can’t speak for everyone, but that is what I’d like.”

  Lily nodded her quick agreement, and while Grace and Charlotte agreed, they also decided to walk together for added safety. All eyes turned to Hannah, and she lowered her head a bit too demurely. “I would like an escort. I was overconfident last time, and it got me into trouble.”

  While her request made sense, it needled Abby. Did she truly feel unsafe, or was she trying to rope Lucas into spending time with her? And even if she was, why did Abby care? Lucas didn’t belong to her. He never had.

  “Good.” Abby clapped her hands. “It’s settled then. We’ll meet back here in three hours, unless any of you feel you need more time.” She looked around the group, but everyone seemed happy. “Enjoy.” Her smile was tight.

  Abby turned to the horses, but Rhys intervened. “Let my employees handle them.”

  Normally, she’d be happy to, but she had nothing else to do right then, and she desperately wanted something to occupy her mind. But seeing no way to refuse without looking ridiculous, she gave her brother another overly bright smile and thanked him.

  His eyes narrowed, and he looked at her closely. “Is everything all right? You aren’t worried, are you?”

  His genuine concern soothed some of her frustration, and her shoulders deflated. “Not at all. Everything is all right.” Her eyes strayed toward Lucas, but she quickly averted them.

  Unfortunately, not quickly enough.

  Now Rhys was looking between the two of them and didn’t look happy in the slightest. At least Lucas didn’t notice—he was too busy talking with Hannah.

  “Abby—”

  She shook her head, refusing to talk about it. “I’m fine,” she stressed again. She looked past Rhys to Hannah and Lucas. “I’ll see you later.”

  Hannah nodded happily and turned back to Lucas, but before she could speak, Rhys placed himself between them. “If you follow me, Miss Pierce, we’ll fetch you an escort.”

  Abby had just turned around, but Rhys’ words had her glancing back.

  Hannah’s straightened quickly. “But I thought…” She glanced at Lucas.

  Lucas raised a brow. “Is something wrong?” He appeared as if he had no idea what Hannah wanted, but Abby knew Lucas would never be so obtuse. He knew what Hannah was after and was handily extricating himself from the situation.

  She wasn’t sure why, but Abby felt an immense amount of happiness over that. She shouldn’t care who Lucas spent his time with, but as much as she tried to fight it, she did. The whole situation was so confusing. Why couldn’t this be simple?

  She wasn’t in love with Lucas anymore, and she needed to allow both of them to move on with their lives.

  Hannah quickly recovered, and her lips quirked with a contented smile. “No, of course not. Thank you for your consideration.” She nodded politely at Rhys. “Please, lead on.”

  As if realizing that Abby would be left alone with Lucas, Rhys looked between the two of them, then settled his gaze on Abby. “Will you be all right?”

  She wasn’t sure, if she were being honest, but she nodded encouragingly at her brother. “I’ll be fine. I think I’ll pay Aria a visit while I’m here.”

  “Let me know if you need anything.” He glanced meaningfully in Lucas’ direction.

  “Of course.”

  At one point, she’d been tired of Rhys’ overbearing attitude, but now she was grateful for it. He was only protective because he loved her so much.

  Abby waved one last time as Rhys led Hannah to the hotel. She watched them a little longer than necessary, but the alternative was to give her attention to Lucas, who remained beside her.

  Realizing he wasn’t going to leave, she took a deep breath, and looked at him with what she hoped was confidence. “Thank you for meeting us. The others were nervous, but knowing you two would be waiting helped alleviate some fears.”

  “I’m glad. I want to help in any way I can.” He looked at her meaningfully.

  She did her best not to read into anything. He wasn’t saying he wanted to help her. He was being kind, and she couldn’t fault him for that. He was doing his job. Plain and simple.

  She smiled, hoping it looked genuine. “Thank you. I’m sure the others know that as well.”

  “Abby…” he said, drawing out her name.

  Hearing him say her name filled her with a longing she didn’t want. She swallowed hard, then forced herself to meet his eyes. “Have a wonderful day, Mr. McDermott.”

  She didn’t allow him to respond as she turned and left.

  Chapter 9

  Lucas wasn’t sure what had just happened. He’d felt as though he’d made progress with Abby, but if the conversation just now was any indication, he was failing miserably.

  He watched her walk away, her hips gently swaying with each step, her back rigid like she knew he watched her. He should turn away, go somewhere else, attend to some of his other business, but he couldn’t seem to rip his gaze away.

  Abby was the only person to ever fill his heart, and even though that was years ago, he was starting to realize that some of his feelings remained. If he were a good man, he would leave her alone and allow her to find peace here. Perhaps find another man.

  But Lucas wasn’t that good, and as he watched her leave, he realized one important truth: he wanted Abby back in his life, even if it was only as a friend. He just hoped it would be enough.

  She continued down the street, and eventually opened the front gate to one of the large houses near the bank on Main Street. The front yard was large and filled with cascading flowers in full bloom. Two children ran around screaming, playing some sort of game. Abby gave them both hugs before continuing up to the porch.

  The sight tugged at his heart. He tried to live his life without regrets. He dealt honestly, he treated his workers fairly, and he never swindled anyone. Because of that, he’d been proud of what he’d built. But now, he wasn’t proud of how it had started out, of how he’d left Abby.

  Seeing her with those children, he realized it could’ve been his life. It could’ve been their life. He’d thought he had to leave to earn his fortune, that only then he’d be worthy of her. Now he wondered if he could have built his empire while married to her. It would’ve been harder, and he wouldn’t have had the unlimited hours he’d dedicated toward it, but he still could have done it.

  He’d sacrificed the only person he’d cared about, the only person he’d loved, because of pride.

  Disgust filled him, and he turned away. He’d ruined things between them, and there was no one to blame but himself.

  He walked several steps before looking back over his shoulder one last time. He saw Abby run back down the porch steps and round the house instead of walking through the front door.

  Before he even realized it, he was jogging toward the house. Had something happened? Worry filled him as he approached and heard squeals echoing from the backyard. He panicked and raced around the side of the house.

  But when he reached the back, he heard laughter mixed with the screams, and he stumbled to a stop at the scene in front of him.

  Chickens scurried in a panic as a black puppy terrorized them. He looked more closely and realized the dog wasn’t trying to hurt them, just get them riled up.

  The children ran into the madness, and Abby jumped in along with a woman with flaming red hair. They attempted to gather the chickens, only to end up laughing when the offended birds squawked and batted their wings until they got away.

  The
other woman puffed out a breath that set a curl flying. “Drat, you good-for-nothing birds. Get back here!” The woman’s Irish accent rang clearly through the air. “Go that way, Abby! We’ll corner ‘em!”

  Abby positioned herself at the far end, and they both charged the bird. The Irish woman caught the chicken, but the two women laughed so hard, the chicken got away, and they dissolved into a fit of giggles on the grass.

  Lucas approached the group and towered over the women as he came into their view. He raised a brow in amusement. “May I be of assistance in your chicken hunting?”

  Abby’s face lost some of its color, and her smile fled, but the other woman dissolved into another fit of giggles. Abby stood up quickly and pulled her friend up with her.

  The stranger smiled at him as she dusted feathers off her skirt. “Forgive me. I’m Aria Grant.”

  He bowed his head formally. “Lucas McDermott.” He darted a quick glance at Abby, his lips quirked with amusement “One of the Copper Kings.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh! Please forgive me. As you can see, we’re having a bit of difficulty.”

  He rocked back on his heels. “A chicken malfunction, I see.”

  Abby snorted, and he felt a flush of satisfaction. “Something like that.”

  Lucas looked at the dog still causing havoc. “Is that your pet?”

  Mrs. Grant’s moss-green eyes narrowed playfully at the dog. “Aye, he’s our mongrel. He needs extensive training, obviously.”

  Lucas laughed. “You’ll manage it. In the meantime, would you like help gathering the chickens?”

  Abby’s mouth fell open, and her eyes darted to his. “You’re going to chase chickens?”

  Her shock and disbelief only made the moment sweeter. He shrugged, trying to hide his amusement. “It won’t be my first time.”

  Mrs. Grant waved him away. “Thank you, but we wouldn’t want to trouble you. I’m sure you have more important things to attend to.”

  “It would be my pleasure. It’s been some time since I’ve had such an opportunity.”

  Mrs. Grant’s eyes wrinkled with her smile. “Thank you, then. I’ll just take this pariah into the house,” she said, as she took hold of the puppy and wrangled him away from the chaos.

  Abby shifted on her feet uneasily, and he could tell she was uncomfortable having him there. But they really did need his help if they wanted to catch the chickens anytime soon. As it was, the hens were so riled they wouldn’t lay eggs for days.

  Lucas walked back to the porch, shrugging out of his jacket, folding it in half, and laying it over the banister. He undid his cuffs and rolled the fine material up to his elbows.

  Abby eyed his exposed skin as if in a trance. Unable to help himself, he flexed his muscles, and watched as fascination filled her eyes before she jerked her head away and swallowed. Without saying anything else, she started chasing her first chicken.

  He watched in amusement as she only terrorized the bird further. He moved and quickly scooped up a hen, placing it back in the pen.

  Abby huffed out a breath and put her hands on her hips. “How did you do that?”

  “I told you, I have a lot of practice.”

  She shook her head, finally laughing. “Just show us,” she said as Aria returned.

  He didn’t need to be asked twice. He instructed them on the correct way to approach the hens, how to grab them, and how to hold them securely before releasing them.

  After the short lesson, they quickly gathered the rest of the chickens, and then walked back to the porch to collect Lucas’ coat. Mrs. Grant smiled at him. “Thank you for your help, Mr. McDermott. I’m afraid it would’ve taken us much longer, if ever, to collect them all.”

  He laughed. “I’m glad I was able to be of assistance. You can call me anytime you need help gathering chickens.”

  Mrs. Grant shook her finger playfully at him. “You better be careful. I might just take you up on that, and then you’d be gathering my hens every day.”

  He shrugged back into his coat. “The exercise will be very beneficial to my health.”

  Abby shook her head at him, like she would an errant child. “Don’t encourage him, Aria.”

  Aria glanced between the two of them. “Do you know each other?”

  He cocked his head but remained silent, watching as Abby stammered, realizing her mistake. “We knew each other from back home. A long time ago.”

  Was that all he was to her? Someone from her past? Regret filled him again.

  Aria smiled, but Lucas could tell she wasn’t fully convinced. There was too much tension between them. “I see.”

  Abby winced, but didn’t say anything more. Awkward silence enveloped the group.

  Aria shook her head. “Well, in any case, I’m grateful both of you stopped by to help.”

  “Oh! We aren’t together. At least, we didn’t walk here together.” Abby frowned and looked at Lucas. “Why are you here?”

  “I saw you run back here, and then I heard screams. I was concerned someone was injured.”

  Aria beamed. “A Copper King and a hero as well.”

  Lucas tipped his hat. “Always willing to oblige.”

  Abby cleared her throat. “Anyway, the other ladies wanted to explore town, so we all came in together, but I didn’t have any plans. I thought a visit might be nice, if you’re available.”

  Aria reached out and took Abby’s hand. “That’s right! Was it better today? You weren’t mobbed again were you?” Worry tinged her voice.

  Abby squeezed before releasing Aria’s hand. “It was much better. The quick courtings seem to have worked. The men were friendly today, but they didn’t approach us.”

  Aria heaved a sigh of relief. “Good. We were so worried when we heard about what had happened.”

  Lucas nodded. “Rest assured that something like that will never happen again. We’ll be more prepared for the next group that comes in.”

  Abby smiled tightly as though she wasn’t sure what else to do. “Are you free this afternoon?” she asked Aria.

  “Yes. Yes of course—” Aria groaned. “Wait. I’m not. I forgot I have a meeting about refurbishing the church.”

  Lucas’ ears perked up. “What are you doing with the church?”

  “It’s a bit…shabby, if it’s all right to say so.” She grimaced. “It always feels wrong to criticize the Lord’s house, but it’s true. It was originally built by a bunch of roughneck miners. Great for what it was intended for, but now that the town is growing, it needs some repairs and updating.”

  “I look forward to seeing what you ladies come up with. If there’s anything you need help with, anything at all, please ask me. These are the type of things my partners and I like to assist with.”

  Aria beamed. “That’s most thoughtful of you, Mr. McDermott.” She elbowed Abby. “This man’s a good one.”

  Abby spluttered, but Aria didn’t seem to notice. “Anyway, I need to get going.” She turned to Abby. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have our visit. Come back soon—I want to hear everything that’s happened. And bring the new women,” she added enthusiastically.

  “I will.”

  They waved goodbye, and Lucas held the front gate open for Abby as they made their way back to Main Street. They walked in silence toward the town square as Lucas racked his brain for something to say. Everything he tried out in his mind sounded inane. Finally, he asked, “What will you do now?”

  She didn’t seem to mind the small talk. “I’m not sure, actually,” she admitted. “I could visit someone else, but I’m assuming most everyone will be busy with the church planning. I should probably talk to Rhys or get a bite to eat in the hotel.”

  Lucas wasn’t hungry, but the thought of sharing a meal with her, of having her attention for a little while, was too good to pass up.

  “Abby,” he said, pausing near a towering rosebush. She stopped as well, but he could see the reluctance in her eyes. “Look, I know I said it the other night, but I am really sorry for ho
w things ended between us.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze, but he had to get the rest out. “I know I have no right to say this or to ask you this, but I must. Seeing you has brought back so many memories of who I once was. I’ve changed so much, have done so much, but part of me wants to get back just a little of my past. We cared about one another, but more than anything, we were friends. The closest of friends.”

  He paused, allowing her to respond. She finally nodded, unable to deny it. “What do you want, Lucas?”

  Warmth filled him. “I would like us to be friends again, if at all possible. If not, if you don’t want anything to do with me, I’ll stay away from you. But I would really like the opportunity to be your friend. I’m in charge of the women, which means I’ll be at the house a lot. I would like it to not be awkward between us.”

  She looked away again. “And is that all? You want to be friends so it’s easier to do business when I’m around?”

  “No,” he said firmly. “I want to be your friend. I want to know who you are now, because no matter how long it’s been, I still care.”

  She looked at him warily, and he didn’t blame her in the slightest. He’d lost her trust, he’d hurt her. Anyone would be a fool to give history the opportunity to repeat itself. But the Abigail he knew, the woman he’d loved, had been forgiving. And he wondered if there was any part of her that still cared for him.

  She kept looking at him as if sifting through her feelings and weighing the risks, but finally she blew out a long breath and nodded slowly. “All right. I should probably be put in an asylum for this, but I would like that. I, too, don’t want this to be awkward, and there’s no denying that it is now.”

  Relief filled him. She could change her mind at any time, but for now, she was agreeing to it. “Would you like to have lunch with me?”

  Her eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?”

  He grinned then. “You did say we could be friends.”

  “Yes, but”—she waved her hands around—“I didn’t think we’d immediately start dining together.”