The Unexpected Wife (Harlequin Historical)

by Mary Burton

  A paltry presentation by her aunt and uncle’s standards, but in the wilds of Montana a hot meal and fine linen tablecloth were nothing short of a miracle. The coach riders would be her first customers. And she wanted everything to be perfect.

  Satisfied, she went outside.

  The sun was bright and hot and the sky crystal-clear. The boys jumped up and down by her skirts clapping their hands.

  “You two settle down now,” she said. “We’ve got guests to take care of.”

  “Candy!” Tommy shouted.

  Abby knelt down. “Now don’t be asking Holden about candy. It’s polite to wait. And remember to say please and thank you.”

  “Okay,” Quinn said.

  Tommy squirmed, too excited to stand still.

  She wiped a smudge of dirt from his nose and, smiling, stood. “Now run out and play.”

  Skimming her hands on her skirt, she watched as the coach rumbled down the dusty trail. Puffs of dirt swirled around the coach wheels as the horses’ hooves dug into the earth. In the driver’s seat sat Holden, his dark hat pulled low over his eyes.

  Holden pulled the wagon to a stop fifty feet from the front door. Before he could tie off the reins the door to the coach opened. A tall lanky man dressed in gray stepped out of the coach. He wore a floppy hat and carried a knapsack on his shoulder.

  Another man emerged from the coach. Short with a muscular build, he wore denim workpants and a faded red shirt.

  Holden hopped down from the driver’s seat. He smiled at Abby, touching the brim of his hat. “Good to see you again, Miss Abby.”

  Abby felt her sprits lift. It was nice to have company. “You’re looking fit, Holden.”

  He sauntered toward her. “Can’t complain. Like for you to meet your first customers. This is Mr. Webber,” he said pointing to the tall man. “And this is Mr. Pike. They’re headed up north to survey lines for the railroad. Both have come a long way and are hungry as bears.”

  She nodded to both men. “It’s a pleasure. I’ve a pot full of stew, bread baking in the oven and more rising.”

  “Ma’am,” Mr. Webber said. “Your words couldn’t be sweeter if you were an angel.”

  Mr. Pike pressed his hand against his belly. “I could eat a bear. And if I may say ma’am, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Haven’t seen a woman in two months.”

  Self-conscious, she smoothed a loose strand of hair back down. “Thank you.”

  “Obliged,” Mr. Pike said.

  “Where do you gentleman call home?” Abby asked.

  Mr. Pike pulled off his hat. “I’m from Ohio and Mr. Webber is all the way from Maryland.”

  “So you gentlemen are setting the course for this new railroad I’ve been hearing so much about?” She’d heard a few tales from Mrs. Clements of the men who worked the advance party of the rail lines. All a breed apart, these men made their own rules.

  Mr. Webber took his hat off. “Yes ma’am. Railroad is paying top dollar, and I’m hoping to make enough money to buy me a farm back home.”

  Mr. Pike hooked his thumbs in his belt. “Takes a lot of money to outweigh the risks. But so far, it’s been worth it.”

  Dreams. She’d come to this land with dreams. “Well, I wish you both the best of luck. There’s a barrel of fresh rainwater on the side of the house if you want to wash your hands and face. The water’s cold but clean. Now wash up and I’ll have your supper ready in fifteen minutes.”

  As she turned toward the cabin, she caught sight of a rider galloping toward the house. A glance at the black mare told her it was Mr. Barrington. He sat tall in his saddle, his muscular thighs hugging the horse with ease. A familiar black Stetson shadowed his eyes.

  Even at this distance, the sight of him made her stomach flutter. She could feel the familiar weakness in her limbs. She closed her eyes, her mind immediately turning to the night in the barn.

  Instead of waiting for him as she might have done a week ago, she lifted her skirt and went inside the house. Her eyes adjusting to the dimmer light, she noted her hands trembled a little as she started to pull down the plates and set the table for her guests.

  Mr. Barrington’s deep masculine voice echoed across the front lawn and into the house. Her spine pricked with unwelcome sensations and she cursed her body for not having the sense to ignore him as her mind was so desperately trying to do.

  Minutes passed as she sliced bread and ladled hot stew into the bowls. She filled cups with fresh milk then checked the chokeberry pie she had cooling on the sill.

  The boards on the steps creaked, signaling the arrival of her guests. Smoothing a stray lock of hair from her forehead, she turned and smiled. “Well, come right in.”

  Instantly, her smile vanished. In the doorway stood Mr. Barrington, his broad shoulders all but blocking out the noonday sun. Dark stubble covered his chin and his long hair was tied at the base of his neck with a strip of rawhide. He looked more like a desperado than a rancher.

  His hat in hand he stepped inside the cabin. His spurs jingled as he walked toward her.

  “Where are Holden and the others?” She readjusted the forks on the napkins for the tenth time today.

  “Using the outhouse, stretching their legs. Holden is unsaddling my horse. They’ll be here in a minute.”

  Even after two days, having him this close made her stomach flutter. “Did you have luck finding the bear?” she said coolly.

  “No, I lost his tracks about half a mile from here.” He hung up his hat on a peg by the door. “I thought by now you’d be calling me Matthias.”

  She took an extra moment to smooth out the last napkin, needing some simple task to keep her nerves steady. “That seems a little familiar.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Too familiar? After what happened?”

  “I’d rather keep things more formal.”

  “It’s too late for that.”

  Her hands started to shake. “Are you hungry?”

  His dark gaze locked on her in a too-familiar way. “Yes.”

  She could feel the color rising in her cheeks but she turned toward the cupboard before he could see. “Let me set you a place then. You can visit with our guests.”

  A heavy silence settled in the room as she set another plate, fork and cup on the table.

  His gaze bore into her. “It’s rare we have time in the middle of the day to talk.”

  Color burned her cheeks. “We don’t have time. Our guests will be here any moment.”

  “I asked Holden to see that we had a couple of minutes.”

  Her head snapped up. Her throat felt as dry as dust. “Why?”

  He leaned against the counter. His stance seemed casual, but his gaze was harder than steel. “Like it or not we need to talk.”

  The wind howled against the cabin, making it creak. “If you’re wondering about the baby, I don’t know anything yet.”

  “When will you know?” he said stiffly.

  Tears glistened in her eyes. “A week, maybe sooner.”

  He shifted, uncomfortable as if talking was the last thing he wanted to do. “Look, Abby, there’s more to talk about other than the baby.”

  “I don’t think so, Mr. Barrington. I’ll be leaving at the end of the summer as we discussed.” A tear escaped and she savagely wiped it away. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got to finish getting the table ready.”

  Annoyance flashed in his eyes but he went silent. He glanced down at the table. There were three places plus the one she’d added for him. “Aren’t you joining us?”

  “No, I thought I’d take the boys outside and keep them out of everyone’s way. It can be hard to eat a meal when they’re running about.”

  “I want you to sit, relax for a few minutes.”

  “I’ve never been one for sitting and relaxing.”

  Before either could speak another word the men filed inside the cabin. With so many people in the single room, the space felt painfully small. Mr. Barrington was only inches from her, and the heat from h
is body scalded her skin.

  Abby wished the cabin had more space. Her mind drifted toward a project she’d considered from the start—adding on another room. Perhaps expand the kitchen, and then she could bake extra goods and send them into town with Holden for Mrs. Clements to sell in her store.

  She caught herself.

  She was leaving soon.

  There wouldn’t be any need for the expansion because, once she left, Holden would stop bringing customers by for a meal.

  Sadness tugged at her before she refocused on the men who stared at the food with longing.

  “Dig in, gentlemen,” Abby said. “Don’t wait on my account. Enjoy your lunch.”

  Needing no other encouragement, the men grabbed slices of bread from the platter in the middle of the table. They started to eat.

  Mr. Barrington stood with his back straight. He looked ready to turn on his heel and leave when Holden arrived. “I turned the horses loose in the corral and I washed my hands.” There was a wide grin on Holden’s face as he held up his hands to Abby. “Quinn told me you’re a stickler for clean hands.”

  She grinned. Having him in the cabin diffused the tension and she felt as if she could breathe again. “Have a seat. I’d say you pass inspection.”

  Holden glanced up at Mr. Barrington. “Aren’t you going to have a seat? Shame to waste a hot meal.”

  A muscle pulsed on the side of his jaw. “I’ll sit if Abby does.”

  She took a step back. “I thought I’d leave you men to your meal. And I really should check on the boys.”

  “The boys are playing inside the coach,” Holden said quickly. “I told them no climbing on top.” He popped a piece of bread in his mouth. “Sit.”

  Mr. Barrington pulled a spare chair from the corner and placed it directly beside his. “Don’t want to disappoint our guests, Abby.”

  She ground her teeth. He was backing her into a corner and they both knew she was too damn polite to make a scene in front of company.

  With no other choice, she took the seat he held for her. Only when she was seated did he take his. The space was cramped. She scooted her chair an inch from his only to have him move his two inches toward her. The casual brush sent fire through her veins and for a moment she thought she’d jump out of her skin.

  Mr. Barrington, however, looked perfectly content where he was. He snapped open his napkin and laid it across his lap. “Pike and Webber, is it?”

  “Yes, sir,” Mr. Pike said. “And I got to say that this is the best food I’ve eaten since I left home.”

  “Brings tears to my eyes, ma’am,” Mr. Webber said.

  Abby barely heard what they said. “Thank you.”

  The men started talking about the work they’d been doing and the harsh weather they’d seen since they’d arrived. Abby let the conversations drift over her head.

  Guests were so rare and she wanted to sit and chat, but having Mr. Barrington so close was making her nerves dance. His scent enveloped her. Her stomach tightened each time he shifted in his seat and brushed her thigh.

  She needed distance and space.

  Abby glanced toward the door hoping the boys needed her so that she could escape Mr. Barrington’s presence. She saw Quinn’s head pop out of the stagecoach window and then Tommy’s out of the other. Both were laughing.

  “I better go check on the children,” she said.

  “The boys are fine,” Mr. Barrington said smoothly. He laid his hand on her knee. “Enjoy this time.”

  Enjoy. His touch scorched through her skirt to her flesh. She felt ready to jump out of her skin.

  “How long have you two been out here, Mr. Barrington?” Mr. Pike asked. He dunked his bread into his stew and popped it in his mouth.

  “I’ve had the homestead for almost five years,” Mr. Barrington said. He deliberately withheld the fact that she’d only just arrived.

  Abby fluffed her napkin. “I’ve only been here two weeks.”

  The miners seemed surprised by her answer and she could feel Mr. Barrington’s scowl bearing down on her.

  “So how do you like Montana, ma’am?” Mr. Webber said.

  “It’s lovely country.”

  “A backbreaker if you ask me,” Mr. Pike said.

  “Still,” Webber added, “it’s tolerable if a man has his wife with him.”

  Abby pinched a piece of bread. “Oh, Mr. Barrington and I aren’t married. I only work for him.”

  Matthias thought Pike and Webber were going to jump out of their seats. A woman in these parts was rare. But a single one as lovely as Abby was a miracle.

  The men sat straighter. Mr. Webber sucked in his stomach. Their horns were up and they were already thinking about how they’d snag Abby for their own.

  Over his dead body.

  The raw possessiveness surprised Matthias but he didn’t question it. Though he’d blundered things badly between them, these railroad men weren’t going to complicate matters more. He knew how these surveyors lived. They worked from sun-up to sundown and slept in hovels at night. The thought of Abby carving out an existence on the line grated his nerves.

  “Miss Abby,” Mr. Pike said. “You ever traveled up to the northern part of the territory?”

  She smiled, completely unaware that the man was likely undressing her with his eyes as they spoke. “I’ve not had the pleasure.”

  “I been thinking about going up there to try my hand in the gold fields. I hear miners are finding gold faster than they can shove it in their pockets,” he said. “Why, this time next month, I’m liable to be a millionaire.”

  Matthias grit his teeth. Flat broke was more like it.

  “Ma’am, if I may be so bold, you are about the prettiest woman I ever did see,” Mr. Webber said.

  Abby glanced up and blushed prettily.

  Dear Lord, she wasn’t falling for that bounder’s line. “So are you gentlemen headed out after lunch?” he said to Holden.

  Holden glanced up from his stew. “I thought we’d stay a spell. Rest our bones.”

  Mr. Webber, his belly full, was leering. Horny bastard.

  “The weather looks like it could close in,” Matthias warned. His words were casual, while his meaning was predatory. Get off my land! “You best head out right after lunch so you don’t get caught in a storm.”

  Holden frowned. “The sky is clear as a bell.”

  Abby paused, her cup near her lips. “Holden’s right, there’s not a cloud in the sky.”

  “It’s going to rain,” Matthias growled.

  Holden glanced up. When he saw Matthias’s murderous expression, he glanced toward the men who gawked at Abby. He understood in an instant. “I suppose it would be best if we made Crickhollow by dark.”

  “The sooner the better.”

  Abby frowned. “Are you sure? We don’t get guests very often.”

  Holden ate faster, as if sensing Matthias’s patience was now paper-thin. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

  Thirty minutes later, Matthias, Abby and the children waved goodbye as Holden pulled out with his passengers.

  Once the stage had left, Abby started back toward the cabin, with the boys in tow.

  “Abby, I’d like to speak to you.” Matthias watched her turn, noted the worry and concern on her face. “Boys, run on inside while I talk to Miss Abby.”

  The boys scurried into the cabin, leaving Abby alone to face him. “I have to clean up the lunch plates.”

  “They’ll keep.” He had hoped two days on the trail would cool his desire for her and give his mind time to clear. It hadn’t worked.

  Each night, his mind filled with thoughts of how well their bodies fit together. Even now he remembered the soft warmth of her skin.

  When he’d been with Elise, he’d always kept a tight rein on his needs, fearing if she saw the animal need in him, she would be afraid. With Abby, he’d lost control. His animal desires had roared to life. But there’d been no fear in Abby’s eyes. Instead there’d been a fire in her that had
matched his own. Under all that calico beat the heart of a passionate woman.

  Pent-up desires pulled at the bit.

  The intent in his eyes had her backing away a step. “What can I do for you, Mr. Barrington?”

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, Matthias straightened his shoulders. He wasn’t sure how he was going to mend things with Abby, but he had to fix the mess he’d created. “Those men here today. You understand what they’re after.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “I have a fair idea.”

  “Don’t be fooled by their words.”

  “I won’t be fooled again.”

  He caught her meaning. Seeing those other men ogling her drove home the fact that he could easily lose her. He was painfully aware now what he was losing. What he’d had with Abby.

  “There’ll be others like them.”

  “Only if I’m lucky.” She grinned wickedly, turned on her heel and flounced into the house.

  “You won’t be entertaining men on my land, under my roof.”

  She shrugged. “I came out here for a fresh start. That’s what I plan to have. If a man comes calling, I won’t chase him off.”

  Possessive hot need pounded in his veins. If he had his way, he’d toss her over his shoulder, take her in the barn and make love to her right now. “Then I will,” he growled.

  Challenge snapped in Abby’s eyes. “So let me understand this. You can’t move on with your life and you won’t let me move on with mine.”

  No. Yes. “Damn it. You’re making it sound more complicated than it is.”

  “I think it’s best for all of us if I leave on the next stage. Mrs. Clements will watch the boys if I ask her and then you can be free to do your work and mourn your dead wife.” Her cheeks flushed. “Consider this my notice, Mr. Barrington.”

  Before he could respond, she turned on her heel and marched back into the cabin.

  Matthias stood with his hands clenched at his sides.

  Abby wasn’t going anywhere.

  She was his.