Mail Order Bride - Westward Fortune: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 5)

by Linda Bridey

  “I know. That’s why Mama killed herself. She couldn’t take it anymore. I wish she would have just hung in there and not left me. I would have kept protecting her and found a way to get away from him,” Joe said.

  Monica took his hand. “I know you would have. You were always such a good son, Joe. You can take comfort in the fact that you were always on her side and that she never had to wonder if you loved her.”

  Joe smiled and said, “You’re just as sweet as ever. Well, I’m sorry, but I really do have to get going. It’s been so good to see you.”

  Monica rose with him and embraced him again. “It’s been wonderful seeing you, too. Now don’t forget to write me.”

  “You should come visit Montana sometime. You’d like it,” Joe said.

  Monica smiled and said, “I might just take you up on that some day.”

  “Great. I better go. Take care of yourself,” Joe said as he mounted Hamlet. He waved and moved off down the street. He looked back once and saw Monica watching after him. He gave her a last wave and continued on to his destination.

  *****

  Three days after Claire and Marcus’s baby was born, Lacey woke up with severe cramps in her lower abdomen. When she pulled the covers back, she was shocked to see a large amount of blood in the bed.

  “No, no, no!” she cried. “Randall! Randall!” Lacey yelled, and then she pulled the rope by the bed.

  Randall was at the door in a matter of minutes and knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” Lacey said as she began crying.

  Randall did so and saw the blood. His face blanched. “I’ll get the doctor immediately,” he said, and hurried to get Eddie.

  He ran to the barn and found the head groom. “You need to take the fastest horse and go get Dr. Turner right now. I fear that our mistress has had a miscarriage.”

  Eddie’s eyes got bigger. He turned and hollered, “Davey, get Sunny saddled and ride for Dr. Turner. Lacey needs him. He’s closer to us than Marcus, so he’s the better choice.”

  “Yes, sir,” Davey said, and swiftly carried out Eddie’s orders. Soon he thundered down the road on the chestnut Thoroughbred.

  “Perhaps we should also send for Miss Jamie so she can be of comfort to madam?” Randall said.

  “Good idea. I’ll go myself,” Eddie said.

  *****

  Jamie sat at the kitchen table feeding the twins. They seemed more interested in playing with their food instead of eating it.

  “You guys are being stinkers,” she said as she heard a horse trot right up to the house.

  She looked out the window and was very surprised to see Eddie on one of Joe’s horses. The twins were secure in their highchairs, so Jamie went out to meet him.

  “Hi, Eddie,” she said. “What brings you?”

  Eddie’s face was grave as he said, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but Lacey lost the baby. I sent Davey for Doc Turner. I think you should come with me to be with her. Can you get away?”

  Jamie gasped and said, “Let me just go tell Tessa.”

  “I’ll have someone saddle a horse for you,” Eddie said, and rode over to the barn.

  When he entered he found Marcus unloading sweet feed from a wagon. Marcus looked up and said, “Eddie? How are you?”

  “I’m fine, Marcus. Look, can you get a horse saddled for Jamie?” he asked.

  “Sure. What’s going on?” Marcus said. He could tell from Eddie’s expression that something was amiss.

  Eddie ran a hand through his hair. “We think Lacey lost the baby.”

  Marcus paled and steadied himself on the tack room door. “I just diagnosed her.”

  Eddie sighed. “I know. We sent for Doc. Lacey’s gonna need Jamie.”

  “I’m coming, too,” Marcus said and went into the tack room. “C’mon, Eddie. Grab a saddle and let’s get going.”

  Once Rosie and Stella were saddled, the trio galloped away from the Samuels ranch.

  *****

  When they reached the Dwyer estate, Doc Turner was already there. The three of them waited in the parlor. Marcus constantly paced. He felt guilty somehow, as if he hadn’t done his best for Lacey. Jamie felt so badly for Lacey. She knew that Lacey was starting to get excited about the prospect of a baby.

  When Doc emerged from Lacey’s bedroom, Marcus asked, “How is she doing?”

  The older man’s face was set in grim lines. “I’m afraid she did have a miscarriage. I’ve done everything there is to do. She needs to rest and to have some comfort. Jamie, why don’t you go sit with her?”

  Jamie nodded and walked back the hallway to the bedroom.

  Marcus said, “It’s my fault. Maybe I should have examined her, but all of the pregnancy symptoms were there and she seemed in good health.”

  Doc put a hand on Marcus’ shoulder. “Son, there was nothing anyone was going to be able to do. These things just happen and only the good Lord knows why. She’s young and healthy and there’s no reason to think that she won’t still be able to have children.”

  “Ok,” Marcus said. “That’s good.”

  “Sit down here, son. There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Doc said.

  Marcus sat beside Doc on the sofa. “What is it?”

  “You know how I keep saying what a shame it is that you can’t get a medical degree?” Doc asked.

  “Yeah,” Marcus said.

  “Well, I think I’ve found a way around that,” Doc said.

  Marcus’ eyes grew wide, but he remained silent and waited for his mentor to continue.

  “Simon Fairfield, an old friend of mine from medical school, is now Dean of Admissions at Rush Medical College in Chicago. He’s willing to send you some exams to take to see what kind of knowledge you already have and what year of school you would fit into. Now, he would send these exams to me and I would proctor them. He would also send along the books that are being used right now so you could study from them.

  “Then, depending on where you need to pick up from, he would be willing to work on a correspondence course for you. Eventually you’ll have to go to Chicago for a while to do clinical work and such, but that would be down the road. What do you say to that?” Doc said.

  Marcus didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed Doc in a spontaneous embrace.

  Doc laughed. “I guess I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Marcus released him and said, “Yes! I’ll do it! I can’t thank you enough. Oh my god. I can’t believe it! I feel bad that I won’t be able to include my Lakota medicinal knowledge, but if I can get a degree and learn all of the new medical treatments and such, that’s ok.”

  Doc chuckled. He loved Marcus’ enthusiasm about all things medical. “Well, I told Simon about your Lakota medicine practices and he’s very interested. He wondered if you wouldn’t mind starting a journal about it all and sending it to him.”

  That made Marcus even more excited. “I’d love to. I am flabbergasted. Wait until Claire hears. I owe you so much. Thank you for having so much faith in me. I can’t tell you what it means to me.”

  “You’re welcome. I knew the day you asked me about suturing wounds and understood everything I told you that you were born to be a doctor,” Doc said. “You can thank me by getting that degree so that we still have a doctor around here when I retire.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll do that, but you can’t retire for a long time yet,” Marcus said and hugged Doc again. “See, this is why we named Anthony after you. You’ve given me so much and been there for me time and again.”

  “It’s my pleasure, son. How is the little fella?”

  “He’s great,” Marcus said. “Aiyana thinks he’s her baby doll.”

  Doc chuckled. “She’s a busy one, she is. Reminds me of her pa. I’m glad things are going well with your newest. Give Claire my best. Now, do me a favor and let Lacey know that I’ll be back again in a couple of days to check on her,” Doc said as he stood.

  “Yes, sir. I sure will,” Marcus said.

  When Doc
closed the door behind him, Marcus jumped into the air but kept from shouting with joy because of Lacey’s condition. He had to get himself calmed down. Marcus sat down on the sofa again and did some deep breathing exercises.

  Jamie entered Lacey’s bedroom and found her on her side staring at the door.

  “Hi, honey,” Jamie said as she sat down on the bed next to her. “I’m so sorry. I know you were looking forward to the baby.”

  “Thanks,” Lacey said listlessly, and kept staring past Jamie to the door.

  Jamie moved a lock of hair away from Lacey’s face and rubbed her back. “The good news is that Doc says you’ll be able to still have children.”

  A change came over Lacey’s face and she said, “No, I won’t because Joe is never touching me again.”

  Jamie was shocked. “Why?”

  Lacey sat up and looked Jamie in the eye. Her dark eyes were filled with angry fire. “His revenge was more important than being here with me. It’s obvious where I stand with him. Let him go to his prostitutes or whoever he was sleeping with before!”

  Jamie proceeded with care. “Lacey, I know that this is heartbreaking, but Joe didn’t mean to hurt you when he left.”

  Lacey’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you keep defending him all the time? You have from the beginning. You’re always telling me what a good guy his is and how he’s misunderstood. Are you sleeping with him?”

  “What? No! How could you even think that?” Jamie said. “Joe and I have never been anything but friends.”

  “You forget how well I know you,” Lacey said. “If there’s a good-looking man anywhere near you, you’ll jump him.”

  Lacey’s words stung Jamie, but she tried to remember that they were coming from Lacey’s anger and grief. She forced a laugh and said, “Maybe that used to be true to some extent, but once I met Luke, that all changed. I’ve never slept with Joe, nor would I ever do something like that to Luke or you.”

  “You can have him. I don’t want him anymore,” Lacey said and lay back down.

  “Would you like some tea and a little something to eat?” Jamie asked. She wanted to distract Lacey from that train of thought.

  “Tea would be fine,” Lacey said.

  Jamie rose and left the room. Once she was in the hallway, she let the tears come. She’d never seen Lacey be so hateful. Though Lacey’s suffering was the source of her nastiness, her words still cut Jamie to the quick.

  As she came back into the parlor, Marcus noticed how upset she was.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “She’s just very angry and upset,” Jamie said. “I’m going to make her some tea.”

  Marcus watched her walk out to the kitchen. He wasn’t sure if he should go see Lacey or not and then decided to go ahead and risk it. He knocked on the door and Lacey said to come in.

  “Hey,” he said with a small smile.

  Lacey looked at him with eyes brimming with tears. She reached her hand out to him and Marcus sat next to her and took it. “I’m so sorry, Lacey. So sorry.”

  She sat up and put her arms around him tightly. There was something comforting about Marcus and she leaned against him and was helpless as waves of grief rippled through her. Marcus simply held her and let her release her anguish as he rocked her. By the time her sobs subsided, Lacey was exhausted. Marcus laid her down and tucked the covers around her.

  “Sleep, Lacey. I know that it doesn’t feel like it right now, but it’ll get a little better each day,” he told her. “You need your rest and you have to eat.”

  Lacey nodded. “Will you come see me tomorrow again?”

  “Sure, as long as you promise to eat something tonight,” Marcus said.

  “I promise.”

  “Good girl,” Marcus said.

  Lacey closed her eyes and Marcus silently slipped out of the room.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Joe arrived at his father’s new residence and did a little recon. There didn’t appear to be any kind of guards or anything. Joe figured that his father would have no reason to think that Joe would come after him. He waited until nightfall and then walked up the sidewalk to August’s mansion. It was an ostentatious white brick structure; just the sort of place Joe would expect his father to buy.

  Before reaching the front door, two men stepped out from the bushes. Joe stopped with his hands on his guns.

  “Are you gonna shoot us, Joe?” Luke asked with a smile.

  Joe was speechless and Seth laughed. Joe looked back and forth between the two men.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked.

  Luke said, “Keeping you from making the biggest mistake of your life.”

  Joe asked, “And what would that be?”

  “Killing August,” Seth said.

  He and Luke exchanged startled glances as Joe began to laugh uproariously.

  “What’s so funny?” Seth demanded.

  “You think I’m here to kill my father?” Joe said as his hazel eyes gleamed with humor.

  Luke said, “Yeah. Isn’t that why you came all the way here?”

  Joe held a hand to his aching stomach as his mirth faded. “Fellas, y’all wasted your time coming after me. I had a hunch you would, but I was hoping I was wrong. I came to let my father know that I know the fire was his doing and to scare him, but nothing more,” he said and added, “I swear,” when they gave him doubtful looks.

  Seth grabbed him by his shirt lapels and shook him. “You mean we spent all this time tracking you down and you’re not trying to kill your pa? Do you know what we had to do to get here ahead of you?” Seth was furious and kept shaking Joe. “I could kill you, you ass!”

  Luke broke them apart and said, “This is getting us nowhere. Now, look; Joe, you need to not worry about your father anymore. You’ve got a future back home and you can recoup your losses.”

  Joe gave Luke a level stare. “I aim to do what I came to and y’all aren’t going to stop me. So you can both get out of my way so I can do it, and get on the way back home, or I can go to the Sheriff’s office and have him and his deputies come drag you away from here. Sheriff Mike Welsh isn’t someone you wanna mess with.”

  Seth and Luke exchanged glances again. The last thing either one of them needed was to get arrested so far away from home. They both had too much to lose for that to happen. Joe had the advantage here because he knew all kinds of people, but Luke and Seth knew no one.

  “Fine, but you swear on your mother’s life that you won’t kill him,” Luke said.

  Joe nodded. “I swear on Mama’s life that I won’t kill Daddy.”

  Luke stepped aside and Seth followed suit.

  Joe straightened his suit and squared his shoulders. He went up onto the porch and Seth and Luke followed him.

  “What are you doing? I don’t need you to come with me,” Joe said.

  “Yes, you do,” Seth said. “We’re not going anywhere. Like it or lump it, Joe.”

  Joe sighed. “Fine,” he said and rang the doorbell. “Now, no matter what happens, do not stop me.”

  They didn’t have a chance to ask him what he meant because the door was opened by a portly butler.

  “May I help you?” he asked in a more cultured Texas accent.

  “Why, yes, sir,” Joe said. “I was wondering if Mr. Dwyer, my father, is at home.”

  “Yes, he is. You are his son?”

  “I am. Please let him know that Joe is here,” Joe said.

  “Come in and wait in the parlor, sir,” the butler said.

  The three men entered the house and Luke and Seth were agog at the opulent furnishings and expensive marble floors.

  “I will go announce that you’re here,” the butler said.

  “Very good, sir,” Joe said.

  “Holy crap! I thought your place was fancy, Joe, but this? Wow,” Luke said once the butler was gone.

  Joe laughed. “This is nothing compared to our old mansion when I was growing up. We had a cement pond and huge gardens. Fifty
rooms or so, I think it was.”

  “Fifty rooms?” Seth said. “What the hell did you do with fifty rooms?”

  Joe winked at him and said, “Lots of things.”

  Luke snickered and Seth whacked the back of his head just as the butler came back. Luke rubbed his head and sent Seth a withering look.

  “Please come this way, Master Dwyer,” he said and turned to lead them further into the mansion. He stopped at the entrance of a huge den and motioned for them to go in.

  Joe walked through and held his arms out. “Daddy!” he said with a huge smile. “Are you surprised to see me?”

  Seth closed the door behind him. He figured that the butler didn’t need to be privy to whatever was about to happen.

  “Why, son, yes I am,” August said feigning happiness. “What brings you to Texas?”

  “You remember Luke and his cousin, Seth,” Joe said.

  August got up from his desk chair and came forward to shake Luke and Seth’s hands.

  “Howdy, boys. Good to see you again,” August said.

  Quicker than a rattler Joe pulled his gun and pointed it at August’s head. Joe held up a hand to Seth and Luke. “Boys, I can pull this trigger faster than you can stop me, so you might as well just save your energy.”

  “Joe, what the hell’s the matter with you?” August said. “Put that away.”

  Joe said, “Shut the hell up! Turn around and get down on your knees. Now!”

  August would have argued but Joe cocked his gun and aimed a stare at August that told him he’d better do as told him. Slowly he turned his back to Joe and sank down on his knees. Joe pressed his gun barrel against August’s skull.

  “I’ll bet you thought you were really clever, didn’t you?” Joe asked.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Joe,” August said.

  “You’re a liar, Daddy. You took my money and left without a hardly a fight. I knew it was suspicious at the time, but I was just so damn glad to get rid of you that I didn’t listen to my instincts,” Joe said. “You paid someone to set those barns on fire, didn’t you?”

  “What? There was a fire?” August asked as if surprised.

  “You know there was! You had it done. Admit it!” Joe said and pressed the barrel harder against August’s head.