Mitch's Win (Montana Collection, Book 1)

by Nordin, Ruth Ann

  Mitch’s Win

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, events and locales are a product of this author’s imagination. If any name, event and/or locale did exist, it is purely by coincidence it appears in this book.

  This book may not be reproduced by any means, including but not limited to, mechanical, Xerox, digital, auditorial and/or in print.

  If you obtained this copy illegally, please respect the author and her time enough to purchase a copy.

  MITCH’S WIN

  Copyright © 2014 Ruth Ann Nordin

  Cover Design Copyright 2011 Ruth Ann Noridn

  All rights reserved.

  Amazon Edition

  Published by Parchment & Plume, LLC

  www.parchmentandplume.com

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  List of Romance Books By Ruth Ann Nordin

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Coming Soon

  Dedication

  Dedication: To Katherine Sherping for watching out for me. Thanks for being so wonderful!

  List of Romances by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Marriage by Scandal (Regencies)

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife

  A Most Unsuitable Earl

  His Reluctant Lady

  The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

  Standalone Regency

  Her Counterfeit Husband

  Nebraska Historical Romance Collection

  Her Heart’s Desire

  A Bride for Tom

  A Husband for Margaret

  Eye of the Beholder

  The Wrong Husband

  Shotgun Groom

  To Have and To Hold

  His Redeeming Bride

  Isaac’s Decision

  South Dakota Historical Romances

  Loving Eliza

  Bid for a Bride

  Bride of Second Chances

  Montana Historical Romances

  Mitch’s Win

  Wild Hearts Series (Co-Written with Stephannie Beman)

  The Stagecoach Bride

  Historical Romantic Anthology (Co-Written with Janet Syas Nitsick)

  Bride by Arrangement

  Native American Romance Series (historical)

  Restoring Hope

  Brave Beginnings

  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

  A Chance In Time (novella) – main characters show up in Restoring Hope and Bound by Honor, Bound by Love)

  Virginia Brides Series (historical)

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  The Cold Wife

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  Romancing Adrienne

  Other Historical Western Romances

  Falling In Love With Her Husband

  Kent Ashton’s Backstory

  Catching Kent

  Meant To Be

  Omaha Contemporary Romances

  With This Ring, I Thee Dread

  What Nathan Wants

  Florida Contemporary Romances

  Substitute Bride

  Across the Stars Series (Contemporary)

  Suddenly a Bride

  Runaway Bride

  His Abducted Bride

  Chapter One

  Lewistown, Montana

  May 1896

  Heather Curtiss pulled the hood closer around her head as she stood behind her brother, hoping no one realized she was a woman—and a young one at that. She’d considered herself naïve to the ways of the world until tonight. Scanning the boisterous saloon, she shivered and hugged herself for what little comfort she could find.

  “What’s wrong with your brother?” a filthy man asked, his voice gruff as he glanced in Heather’s direction.

  Next to her, Abe, her older brother, picked up his playing cards and shrugged. “He’s the quiet type,” he lied and sorted through his cards.

  She glanced at the three men who sat at the round table. They called the man with the gruff voice “John,” if she remembered right. She couldn’t remember the other men’s names. Not that it mattered. She closed her eyes and prayed Abe would win this hand. If he did, they could go. As soon as tonight was over, her brother would give her part of his winnings so she could go live with their aunt in Rhode Island.

  The pile of cash on his side was a good amount, and the pile in the center of the table wasn’t shabby either. Just one more winning hand. Surely, she could tolerate the suffocating smoke and rowdy drunk men a little bit longer. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the cloak tighter around her, glad everyone thought she was Abe’s brother instead of his kid sister.

  Abe drank a shot of whiskey before he placed three cards, face down, on the table. “Three,” he told the dealer who proceeded to give him three new cards.

  She gripped her arms and held her breath as he picked up the new cards—a jack and two sevens. Her brother had said getting the same cards was a good thing, and he slid his hand under the table to give her the “winning hand” signal. It was a code he used to let her know if he was lucky or not. And from how often he used it that night, it seemed he was lucky indeed. She fought back a cry of relief so no one would look in her direction.

  Three men, including her brother, betted on their hands while one folded and left the table. She watched Abe and had to admit he remained very calm under the circumstances. She didn’t remember her brother at all. He was eighteen when she was born, and at that time, he went West. After learning of their parents’ deaths, he returned to Montana.

  And now Heather was seventeen and had only spent two weeks with him as he took care of their parents’ things and made arrangements for her to live with their aunt. Unfortunately, her brother was broke, so he had to win money to secure her future. He claimed to be good at the game, and from what she saw, he was, though she wondered if he was that good, why was he broke? And that made her wary of him. But if he could get her a train ticket, then she wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore.

  The men showed their cards, and she held her breath as she waited for all of them to reveal what they had. Then Abe set his cards down and the others grumbled. “Sorry to disappoint you, boys,” he said with a wide grin as he collected all the money in the pile.

  She took out the sack she brought with her, and he started putting the money into it when John called out, “You ain’t going to leave when you’re on a winning streak, are you?”

  Abe glanced up at the unshaven man. “My kid brother needs to leave.” He continued putting more money into the sack. “Got to get ready for church in the morning.”

  “Seems to me like he needs to stop being so shy and join the game,” John said, turning his cold gray eyes to her.

  She momentarily shivered but remembered the cloak concealed her so he couldn’t tell she was a woman.

  “You know,” the man continued, as he pulled out a gold watch from his pocket and flipped it over in his hand, “it’s a shame I won’t get a chance to win some of that money back.”

  Abe glanced at the expensive watch and stopped putting his winnings into the sack. Heather’s gaze went to her brother who was scanning the remaining piles
of money on the table. She grabbed his arm so he’d look at her. When he did, she shook her head. They had enough. The best thing they could do was count their blessings and get out of there.

  Another man at the table said, “I brought two horses tonight. One to put up for a bet, should the pot get big enough.”

  John chuckled and rubbed his large belly. “Yep. The higher the stakes, the better the winnings. Go on and go, Abe. I’m sure you’ll have a good time with what little you got.”

  What a relief. They were letting her brother go without a fight. She started collecting the rest of her brother’s winnings.

  Abe put his hand over his winnings so she couldn’t collect any more. “It wouldn’t hurt to stay a while longer.”

  “There you go!” one of the men cheered before he downed a shot of whiskey.

  She made eye contact with her brother and shook her head. No. They had what they needed. There was no point in getting more. She willed for him to understand all of this as she reached for more money, but he blocked her hand.

  “Relax,” he told her, a determined look in his eyes that made her sick to her stomach.

  After what seemed like an eternity, John said, “You heard him. The night’s still young and so are we, right boys?”

  The men chuckled as the one closest to her shuffled the deck. She scanned the three men at the table before turning her eyes to her brother. Making one last attempt to plead with him, she leaned forward and mouthed the words train ticket.

  He patted her hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t risk anything I’m not willing to lose. You’ll be sure to get your share.”

  John snickered. “That brother of yours is going to get some of your winnings even though he didn’t play?”

  Abe shrugged and took the cards dealt to him. “He’s my good luck charm.”

  “You have a strange way of doing things.”

  Still worried, her hands clenched in front of her. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all! Her brother was getting greedy. She had the sinking feeling that she wouldn’t get that train ticket after all.

  ***

  Two hours later

  Mitch Grady followed his brother’s friend to a saloon. This was the last place he should be, but once again, he found himself here. Shaking his head, he slid off his horse and tied the reins to the post. He took off his hat and ran his hand through his dark brown hair. This was the last time he was coming here. He’d had enough of this.

  When they were growing up, it was bearable. But now that he was twenty-five and his brother was twenty, it was time to let Boaz face the consequences for his decisions. And starting tomorrow, that’s just what would happen. He couldn’t keep running around to rescue Boaz, even if it’d break his mother’s heart.

  Mitch turned to Boaz’s friend who remained on the horse. “I won’t be coming here again. You be sure to make that clear to Boaz. I don’t care if he loses everything he has. I’m not bailing him out after this.”

  Without waiting for him to answer, Mitch entered the saloon. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the smoke-filled room. He scanned the crowd for his brother and finally found him at a poker table with two other men and a young woman.

  Shocked, his gaze went right back to her. She couldn’t be older than nineteen. She wasn’t a prostitute. He could tell that by the scared look on her face. She wore a brown cloak that covered her entire body, except for her hood which had been pulled off her head.

  As he made his way to the table, the man next to her said, “I’m telling you she’s my sister, and she’s not married.”

  “You can’t put her up for a bet,” another man said. “It’s not right. You lost all your money. Count your losses and go.”

  “Let’s go, Abe,” she pleaded with her brother, her long brown locks falling gently over her shoulders.

  “I got a good hand,” her brother told her. “I can win this one.”

  “Oh, let him try to win,” the leader of the group growled.

  Mitch’s eyes narrowed at John Meyer. He’d never spoken to him, but he’d seen him before and heard enough about him to know the man was up to no good. At this point, John hadn’t noticed him, but that had to change since he needed to help his brother. Steeling his resolve, he sauntered forward and slapped Boaz on the shoulder.

  Boaz looked up at him and relief crossed his face. “Mitch,” he slurred, “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Leaning forward, Mitch whispered, “I’m not coming to save your sorry butt in the future.” He straightened up and turned his attention to John. “I came to get my brother out of here. How much does he owe?”

  “$50,” John said. “Doesn’t have enough in the pot to cover it.”

  Mitch stopped himself from swearing because of the young woman. $50? That was nearly a month’s worth of wages! “I don’t have $50.”

  “How much do you have?” John asked, scanning him up and down, probably looking for whatever was of value on him.

  “I brought $30.” And that was all the cash he had to his name. Looking at Boaz, he asked, “Where did you get $50 from?”

  Though he was drunk, Boaz managed to slur out, “I didn’t have $50.”

  “He’s right,” John barked. “Now stop delaying the game.”

  “What else did he bet, John?” Mitch demanded.

  “His horse.”

  “His…?” Mitch slapped his brother on the arm to sober him up enough so he’d understand what was going on. “Do you realize what you’re doing? That horse is all you got.”

  His brother turned sorrowful eyes in his direction. “Sorry, Mitch. I thought I could win.”

  John chuckled as if that amused him to no end, and knowing his reputation, Mitch didn’t doubt the man loved to take everyone’s money—and property.

  “You can’t do this, John,” Mitch growled.

  “He’s a grown man. He put up the bet. It’s up to the cards to decide if he’ll keep the horse or not.”

  For a moment, Mitch debated whether he should just walk away and let Boaz lose everything. It was long overdue for him to hit rock bottom. Had it not been for their mother, Mitch would have washed his hands of him a year ago.

  John motioned to Abe. “So, you gonna stay in and offer her up or fold and walk away?”

  She shook her head, but Abe nodded to John. “I’ll bet.”

  Mitch shook his head in aggravation. “Let them all go, John. Take the money on the table and get out of here.”

  “Stay out of this game,” John barked. “You aren’t a part of it.”

  “Well, maybe I ought to be.”

  The silence that followed was in stark contrast to the rowdy men in the place. John turned his steel gray eyes in his direction, and Mitch noted the challenge in them. Refusing to back down, he kept his gaze level despite the fierce pounding in his heart. He didn’t often give himself to confrontation, but he could only take so much.

  John motioned to the empty chair across from Boaz. “$30 gets you in the game.”

  Mitch scanned the others who sat at the table. His brother’s hopeful expression indicated that he expected Mitch to bail him out. The woman made a move to leave, but her brother grabbed her wrist and forced her into a chair. She winced and tried to pull away, but she was no match for him.

  “Let her go,” Mitch snapped, hating this even more than the thought of Boaz losing his horse.

  “I’m going to win,” Abe insisted through gritted teeth.

  She broke into tears, and Mitch’s heart went out to her. Turning to John, he said, “Fine. I’m in. Put my horse into the pot and let her go.” She didn’t need to be a part of this. If he lost everything, so be it, but he couldn’t stand there and watch a man sell a woman.

  “I’m not giving up my hand,” Abe protested.

  “I’m not telling you to,” Mitch replied in disgust. “I’m offering my horse in exchange for her.”

  The man glowered at him. “You think you’re going to walk out of here with her?”

&
nbsp; “No. I just don’t want her to go home with the likes of him.” Mitch pointed to John.

  “Ah now, what’d you take me for?” John grunted and tapped the cards in his hand. “Ante up there, boy.”

  Mitch slammed his money in the middle of the table and told John, “She’s not in this. We’ll use my horse.”

  “Like hell we will!” Abe yelled, pounding his fist on the table.

  “The woman stays,” John said as he dealt Mitch five cards. “I already have a horse from Boaz.”

  Mitch glanced at Boaz who refused to make eye contact with him. With a look at the poor woman who sniffed back her tears, Mitch knew he didn’t have a choice. His only hope was to win the game. Then the woman could go back home where she’d be safe, and his brother could keep his horse.

  John motioned for him to check his cards. Mitch did. He had nothing. No pairs or partial straights. Nothing. If he hadn’t been watching John, he’d swear the man set it up so that he’d have to lose. Trying not to give away the fact that he had a bad hand, he saved a jack and king of hearts. Might as well pretend he had a pair.

  He tossed the other cards face down on the table and held his two cards. “Give me three.”

  As John handed him the cards, he glanced at the woman and prayed she wouldn’t have to end up with John. The possibilities of that scenario made him sick.

  He turned his attention back to the three new cards that sat in front of him, face down. Well, this was it. He was either going to win or lose.

  Chapter Two

  Heather’s face was hot from the heat of her brother’s rejection. How could he be willing to sell her? She’d never been so humiliated in her entire life. Her eyes stung with tears, but her mounting anger was quickly overriding her need to cry. She’d never been so mad in her entire life. Her brother had enough money to send her back East, but he got greedy. And now her fate—her life!—hung in the balance.