“Escargot?” the waiter replied. “Very good, ma’am.”
While they waited for their food, she talked to Wesley in low tones about how much she liked the weather there. “It’s so much cooler here than back home. It was getting hard to sleep at night with as hot as it was, but here we almost need a fire at night.” She shook her head. “Your mountains are wonderful.
“I’m glad you like it. In the winter we’ll probably be snowed in a lot.”
“I like that idea. As long as you’re snowed in with me, it’ll be fun.” She loved the idea of long winter days wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire. Of course, in her dreams she wasn’t the one climbing out from under the blanket to make the meals, but she could adjust as needed.
When the meal came, she stared at her food in horror. They were snails complete with shell in some kind of butter sauce? She couldn’t eat snails!
Wesley looked at her food with interest. “I’ve never been able to bring myself to try snails. You’re braver than I am. Do you really like them?”
She nodded, staring down at her plate. There was a tiny little fork that she assumed was for digging the snail out of the shell. She plucked out a bite and tentatively put it into her mouth, chewing slowly. She did her best to keep her face straight and not show how disgusting she thought her meal was. She didn’t want to eat it, but she’d been hungry enough in her life to know that if she didn’t like what was put in front of her, she needed to eat it anyway.
She saw Ellen watching her over her steak and baked potato. Next time she went to a restaurant, she was going to have Wesley order for her. He looked like he’d gotten some kind of chicken dish. Everyone looked like they were eating something good but her. She stirred her food with her fork, trying to make it look like she’d eaten more than she had. Maybe she could sneak down to the kitchen in the middle of the night.
After the meal, she watched as Ellen and Patrick went to the dance floor. She glanced at Wesley, wondering if he’d ask her to dance as well. He didn’t ask. Instead he stood and held his hand down to her. She put hers into his and he led her to the patio with the small orchestra. Just having her hand in his made her feel safe and protected. What was it about him that drew her? She looked up at him, trying to figure it out. Sure, he was handsome, but so were dozens of other men she’d met. He was funny and she enjoyed his personality and sense of humor, but there was more to it than that.
Finally deciding she wouldn’t be able to figure it out, she just danced with him. He pulled her into his arms and she wanted to melt against him. Instead she kept her hand on his shoulder, and did her best to keep their bodies from touching as she saw all the other couples doing. She wasn’t about to admit that she’d never danced before, and it didn’t seem to matter because her feet seemed to know what to do. Their steps were perfect with each other.
She stared into his eyes as they danced, feeling a wave of emotion rush through her body. She was in love with him. She loved the sheriff of a small town who spent his days locking up small boys for stealing gumdrops. What was she thinking?
She looked over at Ellen and Patrick for a moment, and it was forced home why she could never marry him. He looked so happy with Ellen, and Ellen looked so happy with him. Should I just tell them all after they walk us home that I can’t marry Patrick? But am I ready to marry Wesley?
She knew she wasn’t ready to marry him, so no, she couldn’t tell them. She needed to decide if she was going to marry the man she was dancing with or take her chances by going home to Beckham. She didn’t want to return home, but neither did she think she could worry about money for the rest of her life. She wished there was some way for her to know exactly how much money Wesley made. Maybe it would make her feel better about marrying him.
After their dance they returned to the table, and just as she and Wesley started talking, Patrick asked Malinda to dance. Malinda looked at Wesley and Ellen in confusion, but put her hand in Patrick’s, following him to the dance floor.
After the first step, she stumbled and stepped on his foot. “So sorry!” What had been so effortless with Wesley was a chore with Patrick.
He shook his head and smiled down at her. “It’s not a problem.” He stared at the ceiling as if struggling to find something to talk about. “What do you think of Colorado?”
“Oh, it’s beautiful. I love the weather so far. Back home it was getting too hot to sleep at night.” Weather? All the man could think to talk about was weather? Poor Ellen!
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Are you comfortable at the house? If you need something, be sure to ask Mrs. Smith for it. She’d be happy to oblige.”
“Thank you. I will.” She waited for a minute in silence for him to start another topic of conversation. When he didn’t, she blurted, “My sister seems to really care about you. She hates bankers.”
He grinned down at her. “She told me. She said that’s why she didn’t answer my letter and you did.”
Malinda shrugged. She hadn’t meant to say that about Ellen hating bankers, but she hated to just stand there with nothing to talk about. “Yeah, I don’t hate bankers like she does. I guess we both reacted differently to a difficult situation.” Ellen hated bankers and she was desperately afraid of not having financial security. She didn’t know which was better.
“I’m glad you’re no longer in that place. And I want you to know, had I been your banker, that wouldn’t have happened. I can’t bring myself to evict anyone who is going through hard times.” He shrugged. “If they simply choose not to repay me, well that’s something different.”
“There are people who can repay you, but don’t?” Malinda had never imagined there would be anyone like that. She would have loved to be able to pay her bills.
He nodded. “Usually it’s one of the miners. They’ll find their gold and expect to not repay me. It’s very strange, but when they make money, they just think they should be able to keep every dime of it.”
“You’d think the miners would be happy to pay after they find gold.” If someone had a lot of money, what would keep them from paying for the things they had gotten on credit?
“You’d think. I wish that were the case, though.”
Finally the music ended and Malinda was able to go back to the table. She didn’t dislike Patrick, but she certainly couldn’t see what Ellen thought was so wonderful about him. She wasn’t looking forward to the following night when she’d have to spend time with him alone. She wished she could find the courage to either marry Wesley and not worry about being poor or go home to Beckham without Ellen. She knew she couldn’t marry Patrick, so why was she waiting? She sighed. She was waiting because she didn’t have the courage to do anything else.
Sitting down across from Wesley, she smiled. “Did you enjoy the dance?”
He shrugged. “I like your sister. She’s really nice, but it’s so weird being around her. I know I was supposed to marry her, but I can’t see myself doing it. If you two decide you want to keep with the original partners, I probably will just send for another bride.”
Malinda studied Wesley’s face. “Really? She’s a much better cook and homemaker than I am.” And if he was willing to send for another bride, did that mean he didn’t care about her?
“We’ll go to Patrick’s every night for dinner,” he said with a grin. “Not really, of course. I’m sure your cooking is just fine.”
She sighed. “You’re sure because you’ve never eaten it. I can bake, though.”
He grinned taking her hand in his. “I promise, if you cook it, I’ll eat it. I’m not picky, and seeing your face across the table while I’m eating it will make all the difference in the world to me.” He brought her fingers to his mouth, kissing them.
They sat out the rest of the dances, both of them preferring to talk at the dinner table instead of being on the crowded dance floor with their siblings overhearing every word.
When Patrick and Ellen arrived back at the table, Ellen’s cheeks were red with exer
tion and her face was happier than Malinda had ever seen it. Malinda couldn’t help but be happy for her sister. She’d met the man who was meant for her, and she was happy.
Malinda looked over at Wesley. She knew that he was the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with, but she needed to find the courage to do it. How could she marry a man and spend the rest of her life panicked that she would end up widowed with no way to support herself? His job didn’t help.
On the short walk back to Patrick’s house, Wesley kept his arm firmly around her shoulders. “Are you guys coming in or going back to your house?” She really hoped he’d come in. The more time she spent with him, the more she felt like she could stop worrying about money and just worry about love.
“I’m going to get as much time alone with you as I can before a decision is made. Maybe I can drug you with kisses and turn you into my slave.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She laughed. “I don’t think so, but you’re welcome to try.” His kisses did make it so she couldn’t see straight, though.
When they walked into the house, Patrick and Ellen immediately went to the back porch, so she went into the parlor with Wesley. She sat on the sofa, and he sat close enough beside her she couldn’t have inserted a piece of paper between them. “My father would not approve of you being so close to me.”
He shrugged. “Your father’s not here, right?”
She felt sadness overwhelm her at his flippant remark. “No, he’s not.” She stared down at her hands, not able to meet his eyes.
Wesley immediately realized his mistake. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it came out.”
She shook her head. “That’s okay. I need to get over it.”
“When did he die?”
“May.” But it still seemed like yesterday. When he hadn’t come for dinner, Ellen had asked her to go find him. She’d been the one to find him lying between the rows of wheat, not breathing. She could still see him lying there motionless.
“That’s not enough time.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Were the two of you close?”
“I can’t imagine a girl being closer to her father than I was. I followed him everywhere on the farm until Mother died. After that, he made me stay in the house to help Ellen with the housework, but I never really got to the point where I enjoyed that. I’m good at working outdoors, though.” She shrugged.
“Hmmm…..well, I’ll just make you my deputy and we can hire a woman to come in and cook and clean.”
She laughed. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” She couldn’t picture herself wearing a badge and carrying a gun, but the idea of it made her smile despite her sadness.
“I’d do anything to make you happy. I’ve never met a woman I wanted to shower with gifts, but you’re that woman.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I can’t imagine my life without you now that I’ve found you.”
She snuggled into him resting, her head on his shoulder happily. “I hate that you’re spending tomorrow night with Ellen. I’m jealous of my own sister when I know she prefers your brother and you prefer me. What was I thinking to agree to that?” She not only hated the idea of having to spend an evening with Patrick, but knowing Wesley was going to be with Ellen? She was going to be eaten up with jealousy.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she knows you’re the only woman for me.”
Malinda turned her face up toward his and saw him looking down at her with his intense brown eyes. “You will?”
He nodded, dropping his lips to hers. His tongue traced the outline of her lips as he kissed her. “I will. We have to convince the others that we need to marry.”
Malinda lost herself in his kiss, not telling him that she was the only hold up in their wedding plans. How could she tell him that she was afraid to marry him because she didn’t want to be poor? How shallow would that make her seem?
After the men left that night, Malinda lay awake in bed thinking about the things Harriett had told her would happen between a husband and wife. Even with how strongly she felt about Wesley, she couldn’t imagine letting him do that to her. Not yet anyway. Maybe in a month or two….
*****
“So, how was dancing with my girl?” Wesley asked Patrick during their short walk back to Wesley’s home.
“I stepped on her foot.”
“On purpose?”
“Oh, yeah. She needed to understand that we’re just not right for each other. We don’t even move together well on the dance floor.” Patrick grinned at his brother.
“What did you two talk about?”
“The weather.”
“You didn’t! She’s going to think you’re the most boring, clumsy man alive. I hope she doesn’t think I’m the same way because we’re brothers.” Wesley laughed.
“I’m sure she doesn’t. She all but ran back to the table to be with you.”
“That’s a good thing. You need to keep your hands off my girl.”
Patrick shook his head. “I wouldn’t have touched her if you hadn’t come up with this idea to make sure Ellen didn’t like me and Malinda didn’t like you.”
“It was a stroke of genius on my part. Admit it.”
“I’ll admit nothing of the sort. You think too much of yourself already.”
“Spoil sport.” Wesley opened the door of his house and walked straight back to his room, closing the door behind him with a snap.
*****
Malinda helped Ellen cook dinner for the men the following night. As usual, she followed Ellen’s instructions and did what she was told. In the back of her mind she wondered how she could possibly cook a meal on her own that wasn’t eggs or pancakes, but she decided she wouldn’t worry about it until the time came. If she added something else to worry about, she’d be overwhelmed.
Ellen asked Malinda to bake the cake for dessert, and Malinda did it happily. She liked to bake as much as she disliked cooking. After the thought popped into her mind, she realized she didn’t really dislike cooking, she just felt uncomfortable doing it. Maybe as she did it more, it would be more enjoyable for her.
While they cooked, they chatted about how things were going with the men. Ellen couldn’t seem to stop talking about how wonderful Patrick was. Malinda was pleased to see her sister so happy. How could she not be, when Ellen had sacrificed so much for her? She almost felt guilty about the hours Ellen had worked with her, teaching her the most basic household chores when she’d wanted to be reading a book or just talking with her friends. Gradually Ellen’s friends had quit inviting her to do things, because she always said she had to take care of her sister.
By the time the men came, they had dinner on the table and most of the dishes were washed. They only had to do the few plates they’d eaten off of, because Ellen was fastidious about doing the dishes as they went along. Malinda didn’t see why it was so important, but she did it the way her sister wanted to keep her happy.
When the men arrived, Patrick handed her a bouquet of flowers. She hadn’t expected that. She looked over at Wesley in confusion as he gave one pink rose to Ellen. It was as if each of the men were setting out to court the other’s woman. Malinda was angry at first, and then she realized that it was part of the deal they’d made.
At dinner, the others talked while Malinda stirred her food on her plate. She wasn’t very hungry after watching the way Wesley was hanging on Ellen’s every word. Did he have to make it look like he was really interested in her?
Ellen kept giving Patrick confused looks, but he pretended not to see them as he focused on Malinda, who would rather not have his focus. When she served her cake, Malinda put it down in front of Wesley, hoping to impress him with her baking skills. Ellen didn’t have to worry about impressing a man with her cooking because she was good at it, but Malinda needed all the help she could get.
After dinner, she followed Patrick out to the porch. She didn’t know what to say to the man, so for a moment she stood staring out into the
night. “It’s a nice clear night.”
“We have a lot of those in the summer here. I love summer.”
Malinda turned and looked at the man who was sure to be her brother in law. He was sitting on the wide porch swing, moving it gently to and fro with his foot. “I do too, but I like winter better. There’s just something about being snowed in and sitting in front of a hot stove wrapped up in a quilt that makes me smile.”
Patrick patted the swing beside him. “Come and sit with me.”
Malinda sighed. She didn’t want to sit beside him, but if she didn’t, was she violating their agreement? If she did, was she being hateful to her sister? She’d never been in such a difficult situation. Finally she walked to the swing and sat beside him, staring straight ahead into the darkness.
“So what do you like to do in your spare time?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I like to bake, sew and read mainly. I used to enjoy being outdoors all the time, but since Father died, it just makes me sad.” She didn’t add more to it, because she really didn’t want him knowing anything about her. The way the men were switching partners was making her extremely uncomfortable.
“I can understand that.” He draped his arm around her shoulders, and she wanted to move away from him. How dare he touch her that way? He cared for her sister, didn’t he?
“What do you like to do?” As she asked the question, she leaned forward so his arm wouldn’t be touching her any longer.
“I enjoy reading books about finance and walking.”
“That sounds terribly boring.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she covered it with her hand. She shouldn’t have said that. She knew she shouldn’t have said that, but he was making her crazy.
He laughed. “Not afraid to say what you think, are you?”
“Why would I be? I can’t hide who I really am from a man and not expect him to be disappointed if we marry.” There, would that cover up her embarrassment? Probably not, but it was worth a try.
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