Mail Order Bride - Westward Destiny: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 4)

by Linda Bridey

  “Thank you,” Jamie said. “So, I’m sure there’s something you want but are maybe too afraid to ask Dean.”

  “No, not really. We have a very understanding relationship,” Tessa said, and looked at Jamie. “However, hypothetically, if I did, how would I go about doing what you said?”

  “I knew it!” Jamie whispered. “I knew there was something. What is it?”

  Tessa gave her a sly smile. “I’m not quite ready to divulge that. So, what would I need to do?”

  That night Jamie went to Luke’s bunkhouse after supper. He opened the door and was surprised to see her. “Hi,” he said and opened the door farther.

  “Hi, yourself,” she said. “How would you like to play house with me tomorrow night?”

  Luke blinked at her. “Um, do what?”

  “Play house. Oh, never mind. It’s a girl thing. I have a favor to ask you,” Jamie said.

  “Oh. What is it?” Luke said.

  She came closer to him and ran her hands up his arms. “I need to borrow these big strong arms to help me with something tomorrow night.”

  Luke gave her a lopsided smile. “Help with what?” he asked a little absently. Her touch made his brain a little foggy.

  “To help hold some babies,” she said.

  “Ok. Wait, what?” Luke said coming out of the fog.

  “I need you to help me babysit tomorrow night for a while. Tessa and Dean are going to dinner tomorrow night at the hotel, and we are going to babysit for them. They need some alone time. Plus, just think; you’ll be in Dean’s good graces even more,” Jamie said.

  “Jamie, I know nothing about babies,” Luke said.

  “It’ll give you some experience for when we have our own babies, then. Plus, I’ll be there to tell you what to do. It’ll be fun, I promise,” she said.

  Luke laughed. “That I can believe.”

  “So will you do it? Please?”

  “Ok. I’ll do it,” Luke said.

  “Thank you!” she said, hugging him.

  “You wanna go for a walk?” Luke said looking at her.

  “Sure, as long as you don’t make bobcat noises,” Jamie said.

  “Cougar,” Luke corrected.

  “Ok. Cougar,” she said and moved towards the door.

  Luke was right behind her.

  Chapter Eight

  Luke was terrified. He’d never been more scared in his life as he looked down at the tiny human being in his arms. Jamie had given D.J. to him and shown him how to hold the baby. Jamie stood back and looked at them.

  “Relax, Luke. You’re not holding a stick of dynamite,” she said.

  “I feel like I am,” he said as he looked at D.J. The baby smiled and gurgled at him.

  “See? He likes you,” Jamie said. “Now you hold him while I change Katie.”

  Luke smiled back at D.J. and the baby laughed and latched on to one of Luke’s fingers. Luke was surprised at the strength of the little guy’s grip. Jamie finished with Katie and held her while she watched Luke with D.J. She could imagine him with their babies. D.J. let out a squeal of laughter and Luke laughed with him.

  “What’s he so happy about?” Luke asked.

  “Because you’re smiling at him,” Jamie said. “Babies like it when you smile at them or make funny faces and noises. Cross your eyes at him.”

  “Huh?”

  “You know, cross your eyes. Like this,” Jamie said, and crossed hers.

  Luke cracked up. “I knew what you meant. I just wanted to see you do it.”

  “You’re lucky you’re holding a baby, mister. Now do it.”

  Luke crossed his eyes at D.J. and D.J. shrieked his approval and waved his hands. Luke cracked up and did it again. Luke played with D.J. for quite a while, and became comfortable with handling him. Jamie decided it was time to switch.

  “Ok, you take Katie now,” she said.

  “Why?” Luke said. He was content with D.J.

  “Well, if you want to change him, that’s fine for you to keep him,” Jamie said.

  Luke immediately held D.J. out to her.

  “That’s what I thought,” Jamie said as she put Katie on the blanket on the floor for a moment. She took D.J. from Luke and said, “Go ahead and get her so she doesn’t get into something she shouldn’t.”

  Luke looked at Katie and then at Jamie. Jamie nodded in Katie’s direction. Luke got out of the chair and scooped Katie up in his arms. He remembered how to hold D.J. and figured that a baby was a baby. Katie became angry at being picked up and began crying. Luke panicked.

  “What did I do?” he asked.

  “Nothing. She likes to be on the go and doesn’t like it when you interrupt her. Just distract her. Make faces or something,” Jamie said, as she tried to hold D.J. still so she could change him.

  “Um, ok.” Luke made a number of different faces at Katie but it wasn’t working.

  “They like it when you sing,” Jamie said.

  “Oh. Yeah, sort of like the steer,” Luke said. “What do I sing to them?”

  “How about Mary had a Little Lamb?” Jamie said, figuring that it would be something he knew.

  “Ok.”

  Luke began singing and the hair on the back of Jamie’s neck stood up. He had a beautiful baritone voice. Katie began to quiet as she listened to him. He smiled as he sang and she smiled back. He heard a female voice begin to sing the harmony and looked at Jamie in surprise. She smiled at him and they finished the song together.

  “That was amazing,” Luke said.

  “You’re telling me,” Jamie said. “I didn’t know you could sing like that.”

  “I didn’t know you could, either,” Luke said. “I play fiddle, too.”

  “Oh, that’s right! Go get it and play something,” Jamie said. “Just put Katie in her bassinette and go get it.”

  Luke was happy to comply. He carefully laid Katie down and ran over to his bunkhouse. He got his fiddle and was back in two minutes. He smiled at Jamie as he sat on the sofa and opened the case. He lifted the fiddle out and rosined the bow. He made sure the fiddle was tuned and then began playing The Yellow Rose of Texas.

  The music filled the house and Mikey came in the parlor to see what was happening. Jamie laughed and danced with him and the babies, and Luke had a blast playing for them. Next thing Luke knew, Seth appeared and nudged him to move over.

  “You didn’t think I could resist once I heard you playin’, did ya?” he said with a grin at Luke.

  “Shut up and play,” Luke said.

  Seth picked up his fiddle and joined in at the appropriate place in the song. Jamie watched the two men play and danced with the kids. Seth and Luke looked at each other and had some kind of silent communication because they never stopped as they slid right into Cripple Creek and then Folding Down the Sheets. It was apparent to Jamie that this was something they did on a regular basis.

  Seth saw Katie begin to rub her eyes and knew the little one was getting sleepy. He nudged Luke’s boot and indicated that he should follow him as he began to play a slower tune in a lower volume. Luke chimed in and they played Brahms’ Lullaby and sang along. Jamie smiled and lay Katie in her bassinette and did the same with D.J. Both babies slept soundly as the two men finished their song.

  Jamie clapped soundlessly and then pointed at Mikey, who had fallen asleep in one of the chairs. Seth handed her his fiddle and lifted Mikey in his arms and carried him to his room. Mikey never stirred. Seth came back to take his fiddle from Jamie and then put it away.

  Luke whispered, “You should hear her sing,” to Seth.

  Seth looked up at her. “You sing?”

  “Yes,” Jamie said.

  “Well, we’ll have to play and sing together some time,” Seth said.

  “Are your brothers musical, too?” Jamie asked.

  All of this conversation was carried out in whispers.

  Seth grinned. “No. Dean can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Marcus can whistle but he can’t sing. It’s strange and too b
ad. We could always use a tenor. It would make a nice three-part harmony since both Luke and I sing baritone. Well, thanks for the good time. You two have a good night.” He winked at Luke as he left.

  Jamie sat down by Luke and watched as he carefully put his fiddle away. It had been such a joy watching him play and sing with Seth. Luke finished with the fiddle and set the case to the side out of the way.

  “So you and Seth do that a lot, don’t you?” Jamie asked.

  “Yeah. He’s taught me a lot over the years. Boy, did I stink when I first started,” Luke said.

  Jamie leaned her head against his arm. “Listening to you now, you’d never know it.”

  “It took a lot of practice, but I seemed to have a knack for it,” Luke said as he looked down at her. He wanted to put his arm around her but wasn’t sure if he should. Sometimes he felt sure around her and then other times it was like he was paralyzed. It seemed like his confidence came and went and it embarrassed him when it left.

  Jamie enjoyed his closeness and lifted his arm and snuggled against his side. Luke put his arm around her shoulders and ran his hand up and down her arm. His touch felt nice and she wanted more. Raising her head, she pressed her palms against his chest and pushed. Luke was confused at first and then realized that she wanted him to lean back against the arm of the sofa.

  She smiled at him and he did as she wanted. Then she wiggled her way up onto his lap and laid her head against his chest. His heart beat in her ear and she felt the heat of him on her face. This was something new to Luke and he was enjoying it. He reached down and stroked her hair. It was soft and wavy and he ran his fingers through it.

  There was no need for words. They simply enjoyed their closeness and as Luke played with her hair and his warmth seeped through to her, Jamie fell asleep. Luke felt her body relax completely and the sound of her breathing changed. He moved so he could see her face and saw that her eyes were closed. He smiled as he realized that she was sleeping. Luke was content to stay where he was. He wouldn’t have awakened her for the world.

  Dean and Tessa pulled the buggy up to the barn. They’d had a wonderful time at the hotel. It had been a long time since they’d had a night out and they had thoroughly enjoyed their alone time. Tessa got out of the buggy and opened the barn door so Dean could pull into the barn.

  She would have helped him unhitch the horse, but Dean didn’t want Tessa to get her dress dirty. She looked so beautiful in the pale blue dress, Dean had told her several times. Dean knew that he would always be amazed by how lucky he was to have a woman like Tessa as his wife and the mother of his children. She was his best friend, lover, and supporter.

  “Why don’t you go on to the house, honey?” Dean said.

  “I want to wait for you. I’ll just sit over here,” Tessa said.

  “Ok. It won’t take me long,” Dean responded.

  He unhitched the mare they’d used and removed the harness. He wiped her down quickly and put her in her stall. When he was finished he turned around to find that Tessa had gone. Maybe she’d gone to the house after all, Dean thought. He started walking in that direction when he heard a whistle from above. He looked up to see Tessa at the top of the ladder to the haymow.

  She gave him a suggestive smile and crooked a finger at him. Dean climbed the ladder in a matter of seconds and joined her. He looked into her eyes and his heart swelled with love for the woman who’d come to him in such an unexpected way. Dipping his head, Dean kissed Tessa lightly and encircled her waist with his arms. Tessa went willingly and kissed him harder.

  Suddenly, what had started out as tender and sweet changed to a more passionate embrace. Quickly Dean shed his jacket and helped Tessa undo her dress and they fell onto the blanket that Tessa had put there earlier that day. They became lost in expressing their love for each other and the world dropped away.

  A long while later they lay together as they caught their breath. Tessa rose up an elbow and looked at Dean. He smiled up at her and she smiled back.

  “Well, that was unexpected and fantastic,” he said.

  Tessa ran a finger along his strong jaw line. “Yes, it was.”

  “You’re always full of surprises,” Dean said, and tucked strand of her rich, dark hair behind her ear.

  Tessa smiled. “I don’t want you to get bored.”

  “Never,” Dean replied. “I could never be bored with you.”

  She smiled and was quiet for a moment. Tessa decided to go ahead with her plan. “Dean, I would like to hire another employee.”

  Dean looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Another ranch hand?”

  Tessa shook her head and ran a hand over his chest. “No. A housekeeper and someone to help me with the children.”

  “A housekeeper?” Dean said.

  “Yes. With Sadie married and having a place of her own to take care of and getting ready for their baby, she doesn’t have time to help. Jack is busy with the cookhouse, which is working out wonderfully, by the way. Maddie isn’t able to help, either. I need someone to assist me. Also because I would like to get back to my writing and with someone to help, I could do that. Don’t say no right away. Please think about it.”

  Dean did think about it for a few moments. He should have thought of it sooner, he realized. “I think it’s a great idea. I keep worrying about how you’re making out during the day, and I feel bad that I can’t be there to help you a lot.”

  “You have your hands full, so I understand why you can’t be with me. That’s why I think hiring someone would be beneficial,” Tessa said.

  Dean nodded. “I’ll take a look at the financial end of it. I want to pay them a fair wage.”

  “I think Jamie would be the perfect fit for the job. She’s wonderful with Mikey and the twins and has already been helping with some of the housekeeping. She was talking about how she needed to find work. I think it would work out well for all concerned,” Tessa said.

  “I agree. I like Jamie. I saw her with Mikey the other day and you’re right. She was very good with him and he seems to like her,” Dean said. “Ok. We’ll talk to her tomorrow and see what she says. You have good ideas, lady,” Dean said.

  “Thank you,” Tessa said.

  “You know what else I think is a good idea?” Dean asked.

  “What’s that?”

  Dean quickly rolled her over and said, “Round two.”

  Tessa giggled as he kissed her, and they were caught up in another surge of passion.

  Chapter Nine

  Dean and Tessa entered the kitchen quietly. They’d been careful to get all of the hay off each other and Tessa had straightened her hair the best she could. They looked at each other and smiled as they walked into the parlor. They caught sight of Luke and Jamie on the sofa. Jamie was curled up on top of Luke and he was sprawled out with one leg on the floor, his head resting back on the arm. Both were sound asleep. A loud snore came from Luke and Tessa and Dean had a hard time not laughing out loud.

  Tessa crept over to the bassinettes and saw that both twins were asleep as well. Peeking into Mikey’s room, Tessa found that he was snug in bed. She turned back to the parlor and Dean pointed at Luke and Jamie and shrugged. Tessa smiled and mouthed, leave them there. Dean nodded and grinned at the picture they made.

  He and Tessa went to their room and shut the door.

  “I’ll have to get him up in the morning,” Dean said. “They look cute, huh?”

  Tessa laughed. “Yes, they do. I saw his fiddle case. He must have been playing for them.”

  “Yeah, I saw that, too. I’ll bet if Seth heard, he was over here, too. He can’t keep away from another fiddle player, and he and Luke play so well together,” Dean said. “I wish I had some musical ability in me, but I just don’t.”

  Tessa said, “You have a lot of other talents that make up for that.”

  “Thank you, honey. C’mon. Let’s get to bed,” Dean said.

  “I think that’s a fine idea,” Tessa said.

  Soon they were nest
led in each other’s arms and deep in slumber.

  Luke felt someone nudge him and tried to ignore it. They nudged again and he swatted at them.

  “Luke, time to get up,” Dean said and smiled.

  Luke groaned and opened his eyes. “Dean?” He was disoriented and wondered for a moment why Dean was in his bunkhouse. Then he felt a weight on him and looked down to see Jamie lying on top of him.

  He looked up at Dean quickly. “What time is it?”

  “Just about dawn,” Dean said. “We didn’t have the heart to wake you last night. You looked so comfy and figured that you were fine where you were.”

  Luke smiled. “We had fun. I didn’t think babysitting would be fun, but it was. Your kids are really cute.”

  “Thanks. We’re pretty fond of them, too. C’mon and get sleepyhead awake and then get ready for work,” Dean said.

  “Hey, did you guys have a good time last night?” Luke asked.

  Dean’s face lit in a huge grin. “We sure did. C’mon, get moving now.” Dean patted his shoulder and headed out into the kitchen.

  Luke looked down at Jamie. She looked so pretty, with her hair spread out on his chest and her long eyelashes resting on her cheeks. Luke went to put his arms around her but found that his right arm was asleep. He kept making fists with his hand to help get the circulation back. Then he hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head.

  “Jamie. Time to get up,” he said with a little shake.

  Nothing.

  “Jamie. Hey, wake up,” Luke said and shook harder.

  She made a sound of protest and held on to him tighter. Luke sat up straighter and felt a crick in his lower back. The sofa had not been the best place to sleep, but it was worth it to be able to hold Jamie all night. He tried to get her arms from around his waist but she was strong and he didn’t want to hurt her.

  The situation was funny and he started laughing. “Jamie. You gotta get up now. I have to go to work.”

  “No. You’re nice and warm,” Jamie said in a sleepy voice.

  Luke laughed again. “I’m sorry, but I have to get up or Dean will have my head.”

  Dean had come back to the parlor. “That’s right.”