Mail Order Bride: Westward Dance

by Linda Bridey

  Marcus laughed. “Nah. I’d have gotten a bucket if I was trying to do you in.”

  “You’re an ass, Marcus,” Seth said. “Sorry for the language, ladies.”

  Tessa and Maddie laughed, not offended in the least.

  “What are you doing down there?” Marcus asked.

  “Taking a nap. What’s it look like? I fell off the chairs. Are you gonna get me up or what?” Seth said.

  “All right. Let’s get to it,” Marcus said.

  Between Marcus and the sisters, they were able to get Seth up and seated on one of the chairs. His breath was ragged from the effort he’d put forth and he sat still, catching his breath. He closed his eyes and concentrated on slowing his breathing. One of the chairs next to him creaked and he opened his eyes to see Geoffrey sitting there.

  “So I understand you’re coming to Pittsburgh,” he said.

  “Like hell I am,” Seth said. “I don’t have that kind of money, Geoff. I know you mean well, but it’s not going to happen.”

  “The way I see it, you have three choices; have your leg cut off because it’s turning gangrenous, have it heal incorrectly and be crippled, or come to Pittsburgh, have surgery and make a full recovery.” Geoffrey looked Seth in the eye. “You’re a smart man, Seth. I trust you’ll make the right decision.”

  Dean sat down on the chair on the other side of him. “Seth, you don’t gotta worry about the money. We’ll sell some steer and that should cover it.” He turned and put a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “Please, Seth, don’t be stubborn about this. I want you to get better. Besides, who else can drive the cattle like you? I need you around here. I’m tired of doing your work,” Dean joked.

  Seth gave his brother a sideways glance. “Do you think we can get that kind of cash quick?”

  Dean smiled. He knew then that Seth was giving it serious consideration. “You just watch me. You’ll have that money by the end of the week.”

  Seth looked up to see Doc standing a short ways from him. The older man’s bushy gray eyebrows were drawn down in a stern expression.

  “I’ll do it. I’ll go have the surgery done,” he said.

  Tessa clapped and Geoffrey and Dean both slapped him on the back.

  “Your Ma would be happy, Seth,” Doc said.

  Seth swallowed the tears that threatened and said, “Thanks, Doc.”

  “Let’s get you in the house,” Dean said and they began moving him.

  Chapter Nine

  Two weeks later, Seth watched the changing countryside as the train rolled along. Geoffrey had secured a private car for Seth so he wouldn’t be jostled around. The train did that enough without other passengers bumping into him. Seth was thankful for Geoffrey’s thoughtfulness.

  He was anxious about going to Pittsburgh and staying with the O’Connors. It wasn’t the city itself that worried him; he’d been to big cities before and had had a good time. It was because he was going to stand out like a sore thumb, not only because of his injuries, but because he was not like them. He wasn’t polished or sophisticated and Seth didn’t want to embarrass the O’Connors, especially Maddie.

  As he looked over at her now, Seth couldn’t believe that she had decided to come back to Pittsburgh. The memory of that conversation came back to him.

  They’d sat in the parlor late one night. Seth hadn’t been able to sleep yet again because he was fretting over the upcoming trip and Maddie had been wrestling with the decision of whether to stay in Montana or return to Pittsburgh with her father and Seth.

  She’d come into the parlor and Seth had smiled up at her. “I had a feeling you might be along.”

  Maddie sat down in the chair closest to him and took his hand. She turned it over, tracing the calloused palm and his long fingers. She became fascinated by how small her hands looked next to his. When Seth’s hand closed around Maddie’s, she wasn’t frightened. As large and strong as his hands were, she instinctively knew that he would never use them to hurt any woman. She had nothing to fear from him.

  Seth watched her as she looked at his hand and he enjoyed her soft touch. He let her carry on until he couldn’t resist the urge to hold her hand. “What is it, Maddie?”

  His voice was rough and deep and yet gentle. As Maddie looked up at him, his eyes were filled with a soft, concerned light. She swallowed hard against her suddenly constricted throat.

  She took a breath and said, “I’m going back to Pittsburgh with you and Papa.”

  “Maddie, you don’t have to do that. You’re visiting your sister and getting to know everyone here. There’s no reason to cut your visit short,” Seth said.

  Maddie’s hands tightened around his. “Yes, I do. I’ve had a wonderful visit and I love it here and would like to return to visit again one day, but it’s time that I face down my fear. You’re facing yours. I know you have to be worried about the possible outcomes of surgery. We can face our fears together, Seth. If you help me, I’ll help you,” she said.

  Seth quickly realized that he would never be able to refuse this beautiful, brave woman anything when she looked at him like that. “Ok, Maddie. It’s a deal.”

  He might have a bum leg, but the rest of him was strong. He pulled Maddie up out of the chair and onto his lap as if she weighed nothing. She was so shocked that she couldn’t say anything. Seth grinned at the expression of disbelief on her face and laughed softly.

  “Seth! What are you doing? This is inappropriate,” Maddie said. Her heart was beating a wild rhythm as her body responded to the close contact with his.

  Seth chuckled. “Well, I’m sure you figured out by now, I don’t always act very appropriately. You better get used to it.”

  Maddie couldn’t help smiling at him. “You must have been incorrigible as a boy.”

  “I have no idea what that means, but it sounds like something good,” Seth said.

  Maddie laughed and placed her hands on his hard chest. She could feel the heat of him through his thin cotton shirt. “It means that it must have been hard to resist giving you what you wanted.”

  Seth nodded. “That sounds about right.”

  “You’re terrible,” Maddie said with a swat to his shoulder.

  Seth caught her hand and kissed her palm. The sensation of his warm lips on her soft flesh sent a shiver along Maddie’s spine. Seth felt her reaction and placed her hand back on his chest. He cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes.

  “I want to kiss you, Maddie. If you don’t want me to, just say so and I won’t, but I sure as heck want to,” Seth said.

  More than anything at that moment, Maddie wanted Seth to kiss her. She knew she was completely safe in his arms. She didn’t pull away. Her eyes lowered to look at his mouth and Seth had his answer. Slowly he drew her to him and rose up to meet her. As their lips first touched, Seth inhaled her sweet scent and it flamed his desire.

  He kissed her soundly, growling as she pressed closer against him and kissed him back. Seth was known in parts as the good-time cowboy who rolled into town, loving and leaving women along the way. He’d had his share of beautiful women, but none had ever affected him like Maddie and he knew it went deeper than physical attraction.

  Maddie had first been attracted to Seth through his letters and that attraction had deepened when they met. He was easy to be around and certainly easy on the eyes. Maddie knew many women who would have loved to be with him. It amazed her that she craved this closeness with him after her terrible ordeal and knew that it was the man himself who eased her fears.

  Maddie ran her hand up his neck and through his blond hair. Their kissing grew more passionate and Seth felt like he drowning in a sensual sea. Reason began seeping into his brain even though he tried to ignore it. He ended the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.

  “Good lord, woman,” he said.

  Maddie giggled and said, “I feel the same way.”

  “Much as I would like to take this farther, it’s not private here and I have too much respect for you to take advantage
of you,” Seth said.

  Maddie arched a fine brow at him. “Who says you’re taking advantage of me? I’m a grown woman and I know what I want, Seth Samuels. You remember that.” She kissed him again and then scooted off his lap.

  Her legs felt a little weak. “I’m going home with you and Papa and that’s the end of the conversation. Are we agreed?”

  Seth saw the determination in her eyes and saw that she looked a little like Tessa when she gave Dean the same kind of expression. He knew there was no sense arguing with her. Besides, he wanted her to come with them. “Agreed.”

  “Good. Goodnight, Seth,” Maddie said and left before she gave in to the impulse to kiss him again.

  Unbeknownst to Seth and Maddie, Dean had been coming out of his room to help get Seth to bed when he caught sight of Maddie and his brother in a passionate embrace. He was surprised at first, but then thought that he shouldn’t have been. Their attraction to each other had been apparent to him. He backed away quietly so he wouldn’t disturb them and went back into their room.

  Tessa looked at him as she continued brushing her long dark hair. “I thought you were helping Seth.”

  Dean gave her a wide smile that still had the power to melt her heart and make her heartbeat skitter. “Uh, he was a little busy.”

  “Busy? With what?” Tessa asked.

  “Your sister,” Dean said.

  Tessa’s eyes went wide when she caught his meaning. She shot up off the bed. “No,” she said with disbelief. She headed for the door but Dean caught her and turned her around.

  “Now just leave them be, wife. They’re fine. They were just kissing, honey,” Dean told her.

  “I don’t believe it,” Tessa said. “Really? I want to see,” she said with a giggle.

  “No! You wouldn’t want people watching us kiss, would you?” Dean said.

  Tessa paused. “I guess not. I mean, not passionately anyway.”

  “Then leave ‘em to it.” Dean saw worry flicker across her pretty face. “Tessa, you know she’s safe with Seth. He would never do anything to hurt her. It appeared that she was, um, enjoying herself.”

  Tessa giggled again. “I have a confession to make.”

  “Uh oh,” Dean said. He knew Tessa had a penchant for wild plots. “What now?”

  “Well, when I suggested to Seth that he write letters to Maddie, I did hope that maybe something might develop, but I didn’t really think anything would come of it,” she said.

  Dean wrapped his arms around Tessa and hugged her close. “What am I going to do with you, you little schemer!”

  Tessa gave him a saucy look. “I have some ideas, but I’m not the only schemer, remember?”

  Dean remembered back to the day when they’d taken Geoff back to Long’s to catch the coach to the train station. “That’s right. How could I have forgotten that? Hmm. What do you know? Looks like we might be match makers after all. Now about these ideas,” Dean said and pulled her close again.

  There was a scratch at the door. Dean sighed and released Tessa. It was Trouble signaling that Seth was ready to go to bed.

  Seth was pulled back to the present as Maddie laid her hand on his arm.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  Seth leaned close to her and said, “Yeah. I was just remembering that night. You know what I’m talking about, right?”

  Maddie colored and she was glad that her father wasn’t in the compartment with them at the moment. He’d gone to play cards with a couple of men he’d met on the train. “Yes. I remember. How could I forget?”

  Seth threw a look at the door to their compartment. “That door locks you know.”

  “Seth! You’re awful. My father could come back at any time,” she reminded him.

  “You’re killin’ me, you know,” he said.

  Maddie laughed. “If it’s any consolation, you’re not the only one who’s frustrated.”

  “Misery loves company, so yeah, it helps,” Seth said. He grew serious. “What if they do the surgery and it doesn’t work or it makes it worse? What if I wake up without my leg because they couldn’t do anything else for it?”

  “Seth, these doctors are the best in Pittsburgh and they’ve performed many successful surgeries,” Maddie said.

  “I know, but am I going to be able to ride a horse again or go on drives? I miss riding so much,” Seth said. “Damn it, I hate feeling so helpless. I’m not used to it.”

  Maddie gave his hand a strong squeeze. “We’re not helpless, Seth. Helpless is having no options, no choice in the matter. It’s taken me some time, but I’ve come to realize that I’m not helpless and that I do have options. I can either let him rob me of my life, or I can take my life back.”

  Seth smiled down at her. “I like your way thinking.”

  “You can do the same thing. Even if your leg is never one hundred percent again, you still have options. Maybe you won’t be able to go on long cattle drives again, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t work the ranch with your brothers,” Maddie said.

  Seth knew she was trying to help and didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “I know. It’s just that it’s been my whole life. I’ll think about what you said.”

  “I’m not going to be pushed around in a wheelchair, Geoff,” Seth said as they got off the train. He hated having to be helped at all, but had no choice.

  “So you’re going to be able to get into the carriage by yourself and off again? Not to mention walk on those crutches all the way from the back of our property to the mansion? I don’t think so,” Geoff answered. “I don’t think that’s feasible.”

  “Fine. I’ll use the damn thing, but I’ll push myself. I’ve still got two good arms,” Seth said.

  “As you wish,” Geoff said.

  Seth just grunted as he began hopping up into the waiting carriage to join Maddie.

  Maureen settled in one of the chairs in the parlor across from where Seth sat in the wheelchair and Maddie sat on the sofa near him. Geoff came in and closed the door. A tea set had been placed on a table and Maureen began to serve as Geoffrey sat down.

  Seth watched Maddie’s mother and saw where Maddie got her beauty. He realized that if he were a distance away it would be hard to tell the difference in the two women. Like Maddie, Maureen was curvy and graceful with blue eyes and silvery-blonde hair. She was impeccably dressed in a silver gown that showed off her pretty shoulders and fine figure.

  He glanced at Geoff and saw the man watching his wife with rapt attention. It was obvious that the couple was still very much in love and Seth liked seeing that they were happy. Maddie had changed and wore a deep red gown that gave her appearance a very dramatic flair. As beautiful as she was, though, Seth found that he preferred her in the simpler dresses the women in Montana wore.

  “Seth, how do you take your tea?” Maureen asked.

  Seth squirmed a little. He hated tea but didn’t know how to refuse politely until he remembered something his mother had told him. “Thank you, Mrs. O’Connor, but I do not care for tea.”

  Maddie looked at Seth with surprise and could have laughed outright. She’d never heard Seth utter such a polite phrase since meeting him and realized how much he wanted to impress her mother. She reigned in her mirth somehow. Her father, however, seemed to feel no such need and what started out as a chuckle soon became loud laughter.

  Seth gave him an angry look and Maureen’s face held confusion. Maddie couldn’t contain herself anymore and joined Geoffrey.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand what’s so funny,” Maureen said with a disapproving look at her husband and daughter. “I apologize for their bad behavior, Seth. Please ignore them.”

  Maureen couldn’t have known that this would set off more laughter. Geoffrey tried to stop laughing but was helpless. Maureen looked from him to Maddie who was in much the same state. She felt bad for Seth and looked back at him only to find him trying to hide a smile.

  “Geoff, you’re lucky I’m in this wheelchair or I�
��d give you a good wallop,” he said as he began laughing with them.

  Maddie was finally able to pull herself together. “Oh, Mama, you don’t understand. I’m so sorry. Please don’t be cross with us. It’s just that Seth isn’t usually so socially correct and to hear him say such a thing is hilarious.” She turned to Seth. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Seth said. “Your pa started it. Ma taught me manners, but I don’t have a chance to use them much out on the trail.”

  Maureen smiled. “No, I guess not. I imagine that manners are lost on steer and horses.”

  “And the other drivers, too,” Seth said. “Mrs. O’Connor, thank you for letting me stay here while I recuperate.”

  “Think nothing of it. You’re most welcome. After all, we are practically family,” Maureen said. “And it will give me a chance to hear more about my other daughter and your brother, as well as our grandchildren.”

  “So in other words, you wanna pick my brain and hear some embarrassing stories,” Seth said.

  Maureen chuckled. “Am I that obvious?”

  “No, I’m just good at reading through the lines, especially because that sounded like something Tessa would say.”

  The parlor door opened and a young woman entered hurriedly. She was flustered and her golden brown hair was slightly disheveled. She looked at Geoff and said, “Papa is the cowboy here?”

  Geoffrey gave his youngest daughter a bemused expression and said, “Why yes, daughter he is. Allow me to introduce you. Seth Samuels, this is our daughter Claire O’Connor. Claire, Seth,” he said with a gesture in Seth’s direction.

  Claire clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized her gaff. Her cinnamon brown eyes were huge with embarrassment. Claire lowered her hand to reveal flushed cheeks.

  “I’m so very sorry, Mr. Samuels. Please accept my apologies,” she said. “You weren’t dressed like a-I mean, you look very nice.”

  “I would hand you a shovel, Claire, but you seem to be doing a good job of digging yourself a deeper hole,” Maddie said.

  Seth had stuck his foot in his mouth plenty of times and decided to come to the poor girl’s rescue. “Don’t worry about it, Claire. It’s nice to meet you and I take being called a cowboy a compliment. Plus, I hate wearing suits.”