by Merry Farmer
Hubert let out a breath, shoulders dropping. “It won’t be easy. But my editor in San Francisco said there will always be a job for me if I want it.”
“In San Francisco.”
Hubert nodded. He could tell from the look in Solomon’s eyes that they both knew what would happen when he told everyone, especially Bebe, he was going back to San Francisco. But Hubert hoped he was already one step ahead on where he had been last time in his plans. Still, he had to have a long talk with Bebe.
“All right.” Solomon grinned and shook his head and stood to walk to a filing cabinet. “If you want to pay off the loan and own that ranch, then so be it.”
“I don’t want to own it,” Hubert said. “The Bonneville sisters will still own it. I just want to clear their debt.”
Solomon’s lips twitched. “You’re a better man than most, Hubert Strong.” He opened the filing cabinet and took out a form. “I think I’m going to like having you as a brother-in-law.”
“And I’ll be proud to call you family.”
Solomon chuckled and brought the paperwork to his desk. As they dove in to cutting the Gordian knot of Bonneville finances, Hubert felt as though things were heading in the right direction for the first time in a while. As soon as he and Solomon were done, he’d ride out to the Bonneville ranch to tell them the good news. Then he’d explain to Bebe why he had to go back to San Francisco. But this time, he wouldn’t leave her. This time he’d give her the choice to come with him. After all, Rex wasn’t around anymore, so who would stop him and Bebe from being together this time?
Bebe’s Christmas Day was…well, she was glad that she had made it through in one piece. There was no tree and no decorations at the ranch. Vivian had sunk all of their funds and their energy into decorating for the wedding…which never happened. She had bought a few things for Reese—who spent the entire day in tears, wailing about how Santa didn’t love him and therefore he hated everyone and everything—but that was it.
Instead of exchanging gifts and singing carols, Melinda spent the day in tears, Vivian spent it in the attic, searching through their belongings for things to sell, and Bebe spent it keeping the kitchen fire from going out and putting her meager cooking skills to the test. She made a note to ask Julia or even Honoria to teach her how to cook as soon as possible so that she could feed Hubert once they were married.
Hubert. He was the only thing that kept her from falling into despair along with her sisters. The memories of his arms around her and, well, other parts of him fitting with her, brought grins to her face at the most inopportune times throughout the day, which earned a shout or snort from Vivian or Melinda. She made up her mind to ride into town to spend the day with Hubert more than once, but every time she tried to leave, someone had another catastrophe on her hands that needed immediate attention.
She finally escaped the house and fled into town the day after Christmas. Her intention was to head straight to Vernon’s house and to fly into Hubert’s arms. She hadn’t bought or made him anything for Christmas, but she could certainly shower him with kisses, and, if they were daring enough, other things. But she ran into Honoria just outside of the livery, and, instead of looking for Hubert, she found herself in Honoria’s parlor, her nieces and nephews scattered around her, telling Honoria the story of everything that had happened with Price—and, indeed, in the last few years. When the two of them ended up awash in sisterly tears of regret for the wedges that had come between them, paradoxically, Bebe knew everything would be all right.
She headed to Vernon’s house after that, only to find out that Hubert wasn’t home.
“Honestly, I thought he headed out to your ranch,” Vernon told her, unable to keep the knowing smile off his face.
“We must have crossed paths,” Bebe sighed. “I’ll head home now, and hopefully I’ll find him there or on the way.”
But once again, her plans were diverted when she bumped into Julia coming out of the mercantile. Rather than going straight home, Bebe ended up heading to the saloon, where she and Julia exchanged stories of their Christmases in lightning-fast chatter over tea. Julia’s Christmas with Sam and her little ones had been a delight, but she was more interested in hearing the whole story of everything that had come to light in the past few days.
Which was why it was getting well on toward sunset by the time Bebe rode back out to the ranch. She settled Glory in the stable, then braced herself for more misery in the house. At least there was a chance Hubert would be there still, since she hadn’t spotted him on the road home.
But when she walked in through the kitchen door, she was met by the most unexpected sight imaginable.
“We’re saved, we’re saved,” Melinda was singing as she whirled around the front parlor with Reese.
“New curtains,” Vivian exclaimed from the dining room. “First and foremost, we’ll buy new curtains. And more fashionable dresses. I’m sick of wearing these weeds.”
Brow furrowed in utter confusion, Bebe walked to the hallway, where she could see into both the dining room and the parlor. “What’s going on?”
“We’re saved,” Reese exclaimed. “It’s a real Christmas miracle. Santa saved us. Santa loves me best of all.”
Bebe opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She could only gape at her nephew, then glance past him to Melinda with a confused shake of her head. “The loan has been paid off,” Melinda said, laughing to the point of sounding hysterical. “We’re not going to lose the ranch. It’s safe. Everything is perfect.”
“The loan was paid off?” A thrill of excitement zipped through Bebe’s chest, making her feel light.
“Yes. We’re free and clear.” Melinda went on laughing, then suddenly burst into tears.
Still utterly perplexed, Bebe shook her head and turned to Vivian.
“And a maid,” Vivian said as though she’d been talking to someone all along. “We will most certainly hire a maid. And a cook. I’m tired of your pitiful excuse for cooking.”
Bebe’s mouth snapped shut, and she flinched. “I’ve only been trying to cook for two days.” That didn’t seem important, though. She shook her head and stepped into the dining room. “What happened?”
“The loan is no more,” Vivian said, throwing her arms wide in rejoicing.
“But—”
“Next year will be tight, but we have enough ranch hands who stayed on and enough of a herd to make a good start. And the profits from the whorehouse will be enough to buy anything we need until it’s time for slaughter.” Vivian clapped her hands to her chest as though slaughter were the brightest part of her day. “I’m going to learn everything there is to know about cattle ranching, everything I don’t know already. And I’m going to learn how to manage our finances far better than Papa, or that weasel Price ever did. No one is ever going to take this ranch from me again, as God is my witness.”
Bebe inched back. She’d never seen Vivian so determined in her life. There was a gleam in her eyes that could almost be described as manic. But nothing about the situation made a lick of sense.
“How?” she asked. “How on earth was the loan paid off?”
Vivian’s far-off gaze sharpened as she focused on Bebe. There was something else there besides determination and victory, something that chilled Bebe to the bone.
“He paid it off,” Melinda called from the other room. “The letter from the bank said so. The loan was paid off by—”
“Shut up, Melinda.” Vivian launched out of the dining room and charged into the parlor so fast that she nearly knocked Bebe over. “Shut up!”
“But Bebe should know that—”
Vivian reached Melinda and slapped her across the face, knocking her off her feet. Bebe gasped in horror. Reese burst into sobs and ran from the room. Melinda had been lucky enough to fall onto the sofa, where she buried her face and wailed.
“What did you do that for?” Bebe demanded, marching into the room. She glared at Vivian and tried to sit on the sofa to comfort Melin
da, but Melinda pushed her away and kicked at her. Bebe took a step back, eyes wide with shock and fear. “What’s going on here?”
“The loan was paid off, and we’re going to make sure nothing ever menaces this family ever again,” Vivian said. The wildness in her eyes made Bebe’s stomach turn.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.
“All you need to know is that we’re out of debt, the ranch is ours, and I will never, ever let anything take it away from us or break up this family ever again.”
Bebe blinked, her mouth working, but no sound coming out. She glanced to Melinda, weeping on the sofa and holding her face. Somewhere in the house, Reese was crying his eyes out too. And that was the family Vivian was ready to go to war to hold together?
She straightened her shoulders. “I’m sorry if it upsets you, but I’m marrying Hubert. As soon as possible. And now that you don’t have to worry about the ranch, I won’t feel bad doing it.”
“Really?” Vivian crossed her arms, her eyes still unnaturally large and filled with energy. “You’re going to marry that lying pauper?”
“Vivian,” Melinda hissed from the sofa, her face a mask of alarm.
“Shut up,” Vivian said, lunging toward Melinda with her hand raised for another blow.
“Don’t!” Bebe shouted.
Vivian whirled back to her. “You’ll never guess what I found out today,” she said in a bizarre change of subject.
“Vivian.” Bebe shook her head, pressing her fingertips to her temples. “I don’t have time for—”
“Your precious Hubert is broke after all,” Vivian spoke over her, voice raised. “Turns out all that money he said he had? He spent it.”
Melinda squeaked. Bebe glanced to her with a frown, unnerved to find Melinda looking as though something terrible were about to happen. But Vivian had Bebe’s full attention.
“Hubert is no spendthrift,” she said, anxiety spreading through her. “He worked hard for that money and—”
“And he’s going to have to go work hard again,” Vivian rode over her again. “He’s going back to San Francisco.” She grinned as she made the revelation.
“What?” Bebe clutched a hand to her throat. He wouldn’t. He absolutely wouldn’t. Not after the promises he’d made her. Not after they’d made love. “He wouldn’t.”
“He is.” Vivian held her head high in triumph. “The news will be all over town by now. That fickle bastard made yet another false promise to you. You’re a fool, and you’ll never be anything more.”
“I don’t believe you.” Bebe crossed her arms and stood just as straight as her sister. “You’ve always been a petty, jealous cow—” Vivian yelped. “—and I simply don’t believe you.”
“You don’t?” Vivian shrieked. “Then go ahead and ask him. Ask him if he’s leaving.”
“Fine.” Bebe started for the door. “I will.”
A second later, Vivian had changed her mind. “No! Don’t! I forbid you to leave this house.” She caught up to Bebe in the hall, grabbing her arm.
“You can’t forbid me to do anything,” Bebe said.
“I’m your sister, and yes I can.” Vivian tugged hard on Bebe’s arm.
“You’re crazy,” Bebe gasped, struggling to get away from her. Vivian clamped her arms around Bebe’s waist, using all of her force to keep Bebe from reaching the door. “What’s wrong with you? Let me go.”
“You can’t go into town,” Vivian growled. “You can’t.”
“Let go of me.”
“He’ll tell you.”
“Who will tell me what?” Bebe managed to wriggle her way out of Vivian’s grasp and lunged for the door.
Vivian followed, grabbing a handful of Bebe’s hair and pulling. Bebe shrieked in pain, but continued to struggle. “He’ll tell you he’s leaving, that he’s going back to San Francisco.”
“He wouldn’t. We’re getting married.”
With a final yank that pulled some of her hair out at the root, Bebe managed to escape Vivian. She bolted through the door and out onto the front porch as Vivian screamed after her. “You ungrateful wretch! You’ll come crying back to me when he abandons you again. You’ll see. Men are pigs!”
Heart pounding with a sickening mixture of fear and confusion, Bebe sprinted to the stable. She felt terrible for saddling Glory so soon after putting him away, but she was determined to get to the bottom of the insanity that had suddenly befallen her family. She had to find Hubert, and the sooner the better. And if he really was about to leave her for San Francisco again, she’d kill him.
Chapter 13
“Where do you want this one, Pops?” Hubert asked, lifting a heavy trunk from the dolly filled with baggage from the train resting at the train station.
“Does it have a tag?” Athos asked, striding over to where Hubert worked alongside the regular porters.
“Only one that says ‘Haskell’,” Hubert said.
Athos came over, checked the tag, nodded, and gestured to a small pile forming against the side of the stationhouse. “Put it there for now. If no one comes forward to claim it, I’ll check the train’s records.”
“Okay.”
He carried the trunk to where his father had indicated and stacked it with the others. It’d been years since he’d helped out at the train station. Seven years, to be exact. He’d forgotten how strenuous the work was. No wonder his father hired men to do all the lifting these days. Athos wasn’t an old man by any stretch of the imagination, but he wasn’t as young as he used to be either. Hubert had jumped at the chance to help him out, filling in while one of the regular porters was in Salt Lake City, visiting his family for the holidays.
Working his muscles also gave him the clarity he needed to chart a course for his future. He had decisions to make, now that he’d spent his life savings to bail out the Bonnevilles. San Francisco was just the beginning. His old job would provide enough to build the foundations of the life he wanted for Bebe, but deep within, he knew he could do more than just provide for her. He wanted her not only to be happy, but to feel fulfilled after years of living under her family’s thumb.
If only he felt more at ease about how he’d left things with Vivian that morning.
“What’s that look for?” his father asked as Hubert walked back to the dolly of baggage. The man always had had an uncanny ability to tell when Hubert was mulling something over.
Hubert shrugged, then took the last few suitcases off the dolly so the regular porter could wheel it back to the baggage car. “I’m just wishing Bebe had been at the ranch this morning when I took the paperwork for the loan to Vivian.”
His father hummed. They’d discussed the whole thing right after Hubert returned from the ranch, before he started working. “I don’t blame you for not trusting Vivian.”
“It’s not that, exactly,” Hubert started. The problem was, that’s exactly what it was. He didn’t trust Vivian. Sure, she’d been happy. Melinda had been ecstatic. But the whole encounter had left Hubert wondering if he’d done the right thing. The older Bonneville sisters hadn’t exactly been brimming with gratitude.
“You think the way will be smooth for you to marry Bebe now?” Athos asked, checking a few things off on the list he carried, then glancing to Hubert.
Hubert put the suitcases down, then scratched his head. “To tell you the truth, Pops. I’m not sure. Something wasn’t right with the Bonneville sisters earlier.”
“If you ask me, something’s not right with them most of the time,” Athos drawled.
Hubert cracked a smile, but it didn’t feel right. “It was more than that,” he went on. “I showed Vivian the paper from the bank saying the loan was paid off in full and explained that I used my money to pay it. I thought Vivian was going to throttle me, of all things. But when I told her that I didn’t expect anything in return, I was doing it because I loved Bebe and knew she would only be happy if the ranch was secure, well, it was like something sna
pped in Vivian.”
“Huh.” Athos nodded, then took a moment to give instructions to one of the regular porters.
Hubert pushed a hand through his hair, thinking about how he could explain the way Vivian had flushed with anger at his kindness, and how her expression had pinched with resentment. Like she would have rather died than accept that someone she didn’t like could be responsible for saving her bacon. There really wasn’t much of a way to explain something that he didn’t understand. He didn’t need Vivian or Melinda to like him, but surely they could accept that he’d help them because of Bebe.
“Bebe.” No sooner had she popped into his thoughts than he glanced up and saw her storming toward the train platform from the livery. His heart swelled and leapt in his chest, and he marched away from the pile of baggage to meet her.
His rushing steps slowed, though, when he saw her wild-eyed fury. “Explain yourself,” she shouted, balling her fists. “Explain yourself right now, Hubert Strong.”
Hubert’s mouth flopped open like a fish on dry land. “Uh….” The force of Bebe’s anger left him with no clue where to start or what kind of explanation she wanted. “I paid a visit to the ranch this morning,” he said, figuring it was best to start at the beginning.
“I know you did.”
She came to a stop in front of him, chest heaving and cheeks pink. And even though her eyes were wide with anger, Hubert thought she was the most beautiful and most desirable thing in the world. In fact, he had half a mind to whisk her into his arms, prickles, spitfire and all, and carry her down to Vernon’s house and his bedroom.
“Okay,” he said instead, raising his hands to appease her. “I brought Vivian and Melinda some paperwork from the bank.”
“Are you going back to San Francisco?” she demanded, fear suddenly taking over from her fury.
Hubert paused, shifting his weight and running a hand through his hair. So Vivian had mentioned that part of what he’d told her. Instinct told him Bebe hadn’t gotten the full story, but experience warned him he had to be careful how he filled in the gaps.
