For the Love of a Wounded Cowboy: A Historical Western Romance Book

by Cassidy Hanton

  Animals skins decorated the walls, from badgers to a large moose head above the mantelpiece of the fireplace. Several well-placed windows allowed for natural light to come in at all times of the day. There were two doors to the right, each leading to a bedroom. To the rear left was another door that led to the kitchen, which had a large table with several chairs in the center of the room, and a large woodburning cook stove and oven to the right. Amelia was stunned to find that Oliver had indoor plumbing and a washroom inside the house.

  Amelia was surprised how warm and welcoming the Gyles home was. She was also surprised to find several bookshelves filled with books. It caused her to wonder about the man who owned the property.

  Her father never cared about books. He cared for very little. Oliver didn’t seem that kind of man when she asked him about the books. He explained that he liked to read and to learn. He thought it made him a better person. Amelia never heard a man speak in such a manner, but she had little experience in that regard. In Thinvale, Amelia kept her conversations few and not very personal. Most people avoided trouble with her father, and because of it, avoided her. Still, people were as good to her as they could be without causing problems for themselves.

  Amelia fell asleep wondering about the two men under whose roof she was spending the night.

  Chapter Seven

  Oliver returned from the field earlier than expected. He spent most of the morning checking the property lines and repairing the fences. He didn’t know why, but he felt as if he had more energy that day. He woke earlier than usual and got to work as soon as possible. He found that he got through everything quickly, and headed back to the house to see if Melvin needed help with breakfast. He knew his friend was still trying to make things up to him, and Amelia, but Oliver wasn’t sure that would do much good. The young woman was upset, and she had a right to be. Oliver was less so.

  He was a forgiving person, in most instances, but it wasn’t Melvin that caused him to be, it was because of Amelia. There was something about her that Oliver found intriguing. He listened to her carefully as she spoke the night before. She seemed a contradiction of sorts. He could tell she wasn’t formally educated, but her interest in books showed that she had a curiosity and an interest in learning. He wondered about that.

  I hope she hasn’t left yet.

  Amelia Donnel was intriguing, and Oliver couldn’t say that about most women. In a town where everyone knew everyone else, there was hardly anything that happened that wasn’t widely known. Who was courting, or who was getting married. Who was expecting or who had suffered a loss. Who was from what town and how many siblings they left back there. It was part of Rattleridge’s appeal, but also could make it predictable. Oliver like to have a little bit of spontaneity. That was why he liked being out on the range or working the land, where anything could happen. Nature didn’t like to play by man’s rules, she did what she wanted when she wanted, and one day was never the same as the one before. The best-laid plans could go awry, but Oliver liked the challenge of overcoming the obstacles that arose to thwart his plans, and meeting his goals nonetheless.

  He wasn’t an adventurer like some. He wasn’t going out to fight a bear or make some great discovery, but he wasn’t one to sit on his laurels either. There was so much more to life, and his father’s death had taught him to use it while you had it. You never knew when it might be taken from you. His father thought he had a lot longer to make Glenore into the place he imagined. He was wrong.

  Oliver wasn’t going to make the same mistake. He was going to put his dreams and goals first. Anything else could happen later, but until they were completed, he had nothing else to interest him. Amelia was a bit of a surprise, but she wasn’t going to intrude on his plans. Still, he could find out more about her. She was the most interesting person to grace the borders of Rattleridge, Montana in a long time.

  The next morning, Amelia woke to find the sun already high in the sky and the smell of food wafting through the house. She’d slept much longer than she was used to, and immediately she rushed to get ready before that became a problem. She was not welcomed there, despite the pleasant evening they had the night before. She had to leave today.

  Amelia made her way to the washroom and cleaned up for the day. She put on a fresh dress and wound her hair into a tight bun. She didn’t know what she was going to do now, but she was sure of one thing—she was never going back to Thinvale.

  She walked out of the room after making the bed and made her way to the kitchen and the smell of a hot breakfast. “Good morning,” Amelia said, as she greeted the back of the slender man who was working feverishly over a hot stove.

  “Good morning, Miss Donnel,” Melvin greeted Amelia with a smile.

  “Amelia,” she corrected. After all, the man knew more about her than most people, it seemed only fitting that he call her by her first name. She looked at him quizzically. Melvin was the one who had written to her, proposed, and offered her a life in Rattleridge. He was an obvious choice for marriage, though several decades her senior. Despite that, he wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. She could not separate the words and the face she had long gazed on. They were one in her mind, and though Melvin had written them under the guise of being Oliver, he had shared the younger man’s feelings.

  The thought caused a small flare of anger to well up inside of her, but Amelia soon put it aside. She should have known that it was too good to be true. Millicent did warn her, and Mrs. Puck even cautioned her, though she hoped for the best. Regardless, Amelia was there now and she had to make do with what life presented her with. She would make a fresh start in Rattleridge.

  “Well, Amelia, take a seat. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes,” Melvin informed her as he continued cooking.

  “That’s all right,” Amelia replied. “I’ll just be on my way.”

  Melvin’s expression faltered. His eyes fell to the bag in her hand. “You plannin’ on leavin’ already?”

  “I have to go,” Amelia answered. “I need to find someplace to live and employment. I can’t exploit your hospitality. Mr. Gyles would want me gone as soon as possible.”

  Melvin turned to face her. “I think he’d be upset to find that you left here with an empty belly,” he said with a smile. “Please, have some breakfast. We can talk a bit.”

  Amelia hesitated. The food did smell good, however, and her stomach rumbled at the prospect of another delicious meal.

  It can’t hurt. One more meal before I go.

  “All right, thank you,” Amelia agreed. She set her bag on the chair nearest her. “Do you need a hand?”

  “No, Ma’am,” Melvin said with a smile. “I do this all the time. You just sit yourself down.” He turned back to the stove with the spatula in his hand. “Don’t let Oliver fool you,” he commented. “I’m the better cook here.”

  Amelia smiled. “I believe it. That meal was wonderful last night,” she added. “What’re you making now?”

  Melvin smirked. “I have some smoked ham, sausage, grits, flapjacks, and eggs with tomato. I wasn’t sure what you liked so I thought a mix of things was best, just so you’d have some options.”

  “You didn’t have to do all that,” Amelia replied.

  Melvin shrugged. “It’s all right. I like doin’ things for other people.”

  “I can see that,” Amelia commented. She hesitated but curiosity won out. “How long have you been with Mr. Gyles?”

  “His entire life. I was his father’s close friend and after he was born, I stuck around to help care for him. I’ve been with him ever since,” Melvin answered. He turned and placed a platter of sausage and ham on the table, followed by the flapjacks, grits, and eggs. “I’ve got coffee and tea. I didn’t know what you’d like better. We also have some fresh orange juice and some cider if you don’t care for anythin’ hot.”

  Amelia chuckled lightly. She’d never met a man who considered others so much. She wished she had someone to care about her the way that Melvin did
about Oliver.

  Melvin finished setting the table. Amelia realized he only put two places. “Where is Mr. Gyles?” she wondered.

  “He’s already out in the field,” Melvin informed her. “He’s been out there since before dawn. He doesn’t usually come in until around eight or so. I’d usually be out there with him by now, but I wanted to be sure you had a good meal to fill you when you woke up.”

  “You really care about him?” she asked. Amelia looked at Melvin thoughtfully. He was a kind man, despite what he’d done to her. She could see that. She wondered what had provoked him to go to such extremes, and during the night, it came to her quite clearly—love. He loved Oliver.

  Melvin smiled and confirmed her thoughts. “I never had children. I never thought of it,” he admitted. “My entire life was Guthrie and Oliver.”

  “Guthrie?”

  “Oliver’s father,” Melvin elaborated. “He and I grew up together. I never had any family and Guthrie’s always looked after me. We went our own ways for a time, but after we met again, I swore I’d repay him all the kindness his family ever showed me.” He smiled to himself. “They treated me like family, not some orphaned boy with no promise. So when Oliver was born, I decided I’d love him like he was my own boy. That’s what I’ve done every day since.”

  Amelia stared silently.

  “I can see you’re thinkin’,” Melvin commented. “What’re you thinkin’?”

  Amelia didn’t want to say anything. It was too painful. Still, there was something about Melvin’s kind gaze and warm smile, that made her tell him.

  “You care more for Mr. Gyles than my father ever did about me,” she answered. “I’ve never heard him say anything like you just did to me.”

  Melvin looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry. I, uh… remember the things you told me in your letters. Your father didn’t seem like an easy man.”

  Amelia’s eyes met his. “Far from easy.” She sighed. “When I wrote those letters, I didn’t say everything. I didn’t want Oliver to like me because he felt pity for me. Everyone in town pitied me. I didn’t want him to.”

  Melvin leaned closer. “You mean things were worse than what you said?”

  Tears stung her eyes as disappointment filled her heart. She had come to find love in Rattleridge. The love Melvin had for Oliver was the kind of love she had always wanted. Yes, Mrs. Puck loved her, but Amelia had never known that until she heard the words uttered before she left Thinvale. Melvin had no qualms telling her how he cared for the man he’d help raise.

  “My mother died giving birth to me,” Amelia said sadly. “My father never forgave me for killing her.”

  “Killing her?” Melvin looked at her incredulously.

  “That’s how he saw it,” she replied. “He blamed me for her death and it seemed as if he made it his life’s mission to punish me for it. It was also my fault that I was born a girl and not the son he truly wanted. He never held down steady work. He bounced from one small thing to another, whatever would give him a quick dollar to buy drinks and food. When he decided to turn the ranch into something profitable, I was ten, and my father immediately put me to work. I was already scrubbing floors in town for those who could afford to pay for it.”

  Melvin had a sad look in his eyes, but he said nothing. Amelia continued.

  “Once I took over bringing money home, my father stopped working. He lived off what I made and the older I got, the more he depended on me. He stopped cooking and spent all of his time gambling or drinking or both. His only other passion was persecuting me. He would spend all day making me feel bad for whatever reason he could find. It didn’t matter what it was. It was always my fault.”

  “He just let you do that? He didn’t care that he had a responsibility to you, as his daughter?”

  “Melvin, my father hated me,” she said bluntly. “I knew that and he made no attempt to hide it. He wished me gone so many times. He told me he wished I’d never been born. He cursed God for giving me to him. He didn’t care about me. Not the way you care about Mr. Gyles.”

  “You’re not goin’ home, are you?” Melvin asked.

  “No,” Amelia said as she raised her chin slightly. “I’m never going back.” She met Melvin’s gaze. “When I left to come here, I didn’t say anything. I snuck away in the morning without a word. I thought I was coming to a better life, one with love in it.” She hung her head.

  “That’s why I was so upset yesterday. It wasn’t just that you’d mislead me,” she confessed. “I was embarrassed because I was silly enough to think that some man I met through a letter could make my life better. I should have known better. A mail-order bride? What was I thinking? What do I know about being a wife? Someone to take care of me? Love me like that? Who was going to love me when they don’t even know me? This was entirely my fault. My stupidity did this. I should never have started this. I should never have replied to that ad, but I thought that someone who looked like that couldn’t possibly be any worse than my father, so I took a chance. I should have known that luck wasn’t going to be with me.”

  “It wasn’t your fault, Amelia,” Oliver’s voice interrupted.

  Amelia quickly wiped the corners of her eyes before he could see her cry. She turned to look at him. “Mr. Gyles.”

  “Call me Oliver,” he insisted gently.

  She looked at him as she took several long breaths to calm herself. She finally said his name. “Oliver.”

  She was so engrossed in her conversation she hadn’t realized he had come in. He walked around the table and stood against the wall facing her. “It really isn’t your fault, and I’m very sorry for making you feel bad yesterday. I was terribly insensitive.”

  “A strange woman was invading your home accusing you of being her fiancé. I would say that you took it as well as could be expected,” she replied.

  Oliver smirked. “No, I should have handled it better. I should have considered what was happening to you before I behaved in such a manner. I’m sure it didn’t make you feel any better.” He looked at her gently. “What do you plan to do now?”

  Amelia took a deep breath. She had a plan, though she wasn’t entirely sure how she would go about it. She needed a job and a place to live, but finding a job usually meant she needed to have an address. She also didn’t know where she could find work. The thought of going to Florence and asking her if Archibald could find her employment at the hotel had crossed her mind. However, she didn’t have the courage to. Florence was so refined, and wanted to be her friend—how would she ever be friends with someone who worked for her husband? She would no longer be a friend, but an employee. Amelia didn’t want that relationship to change. She would find another way.

  “I’m going to find work,” Amelia replied. “I’ll find a job in town somewhere, there must be someone who’s looking for help, and there has to be someplace I can stay for a while.” She looked at Oliver.

  “Do you really want to stay in Rattleridge?” he asked, as he kept his eyes fixed on her.

  “Yes,” Amelia replied. “I have nothing else.”

  Chapter Eight

  When Oliver heard that Amelia really wanted to stay in Rattleridge, another idea came to him. He would help her start a new life. He might not have been what she was expecting, but he was far from heartless. He would help her if she’d let him.

  “Why don’t you help us?” Melvin interjected suddenly.

  Oliver looked at him and blinked several times. What did he mean by help them? His brow furrowed as his friend turned and looked at him. “We need help keepin’ this place in order,” he continued. “It was one of the reasons I thought you needed a wife in the first place,” Melvin continued. “The scenario might be a little different, but the situation could still work to help everyone.”

  “What’re you talking about?” Oliver questioned. He stepped forward and set both of his feet firmly on the ground as he folded his arms over his chest.

  Melvin looked at him. “You and I both know that this
place can’t be run with only the two of us doing all of the work. There’s a lot to do and we need help to get it all done. There is never a time when everything is done around here, but it could be managed better with more hands.”

  Oliver glanced in Amelia’s direction. She was looking at Melvin intently, listening to every word. He hoped she wasn’t getting undue expectations. Oliver didn’t want more people on the ranch, despite what Melvin had to say, and he was the one who made the decisions.

  “Ollie, you know that I’m right. This place would run a whole lot smoother if Amelia stayed here to help us.”

  The young woman shifted in her seat. Oliver felt her eyes turn to him. He refused to look at her. Instead, he kept his focus on Melvin.

  “If Amelia takes over the cooking, I can be out there with you and get caught up on the repairs. It would take us less time to plant and keep an eye on the cattle, if we didn’t have to go between the land and the house. She could take care of the house and do some small chores on the ranch. We wouldn’t have to worry about our clothes wearing out or cleaning up. It makes sense.”