“What seems to be the problem?”
“I seem to be the problem,” Hank said, scooping up the fallen merchandise. “I was just doing a bit of rearranging. Storekeeping is pretty new to me, even now. I’m learning to never put heavier items up high.”
Nick laughed heartily. “I can see the wisdom in that. Still, I think you’ve done a great job. Your store rivals any of those in Bozeman.”
“Maybe, but I’m betting their owners know more about what they’re doing.” He shook his head and put the broken crate and pieces aside. “So what brings you here today?”
“I guess a little cabin fever. The weather’s turned nice, but I know it’s probably just foolin’ us.”
“I’d like to think winter’s over and done with,” Hank replied. “I thought Boston winters were bad, but Montana beats those by a mile.”
“It can be taxing, to be sure. For all the time I’ve been here, I find this time of year the worst. You get excited about a warm day and think you’re finally headed into summer, and then without warning you wake up to six inches of snow.”
“I’m not sure I’m very well suited for this life, to tell you the truth.”
Hank’s confession only added to what he’d said earlier. Nick could hear the frustration in his voice. “I suppose it’s pretty different from back East. It’s different enough just from Kansas.”
“It’s the isolation that sometimes gets to me. I’m used to places with plenty of noise and commotion, and then I come here, and the change is both welcoming and unnerving.”
“You don’t figure to leave, do you?”
Hank shook his head. “No, but I do feel a little displaced.” He frowned. “Sometimes I’m not sure I’m cut out for anything here.”
Nick smiled. “Well, this store has sure been good for us.
You seem pretty good at running it.”
“To be honest, making money is something I’ve always had a knack for, but when it comes to knowing how to be a husband and man of God—and even a Montanan—I feel far less equipped.”
“I know what you mean when it comes to being a man of God. I’ve been reading the Bible all winter, and I feel like I’ve only just begun to see what it’s all about.”
“Some folks spend a lifetime trying to understand God,” Hank replied. “My problem comes in the discomfort I feel when my wife knows more than I do about spiritual matters.”
Nick nodded, thinking of Beth and how much it meant to her to marry a Christian. Even if he could find a way to woo her—convince her that he was worthy of courting—could he ever hope to be a spiritual leader in her life? It was an issue he’d never really considered.
Gwen smiled a greeting when her husband came home for lunch with a guest. Someone was always dropping by Gallatin House for a meal or to soak in the hot springs. The place was rapidly becoming more than a mere stage stop.
“Mr. Vanhouten, we haven’t seen you in quite a while. I heard that your wife was back East visiting relatives.”
“That she is, and it’s where I intend to go. The Montana winters have been too much for her, and I’m too old and cantankerous to live without a wife.” He smiled and gave Gwen a wink. “Besides, it gets too cold at night to sleep alone.”
“That it does,” Hank said, grinning at Gwen.
She felt her cheeks flush and turned away. “Well, I’m sorry you’ll be leaving us. Are you planning to sell out?” She motioned to the table and didn’t wait for his response. “Please sit, and I’ll bring you both some lunch.”
“I’d like that.”
Gwen wasn’t sure where Lacy had gotten off to, but given that they weren’t expecting guests for lunch, she really couldn’t fault her sister. “I’m not sure if Lacy will be joining us, so we can go ahead and eat.”
She ladled bowls of thick beef stew and brought them to the table. Within a few moments, she had added fresh baked bread and butter, applesauce, and hot coffee.
Mr. Vanhouten ate rather noisily for several minutes, then paused to declare, “You Gallatin gals sure can cook.”
Hank patted his stomach. “A fellow could grow fat and lazy in this house.”
“Hardly,” Gwen countered. “We Gallatins don’t keep company with idleness.”
“Hank tells me business is good,” the older man said, reaching for another slice of bread. “I’m glad to hear it, too. With new folks coming to settle these parts, I don’t feel so bad in leaving. The last thing I’d want to do is go off and have you sitting on a bunch of land you couldn’t use.”
“What do you mean?” Gwen looked to her husband and back to Vanhouten.
“He means that I’ve just agreed to buy him out,” Hank answered before Vanhouten could say anything more.
“What?” While she knew Hank could more than afford to purchase the land, it seemed strange to her that he’d said nothing at all.
“I really didn’t have a chance to discuss it. I hope you’ll forgive me,” Hank said apologetically. “He only asked me about it a few minutes before we showed up here.”
Mr. Vanhouten nodded. “It’s true. I figured Hank here was the only one with enough ready cash to buy me out quickly. Other folks would have to go seeking a loan or want to take it on credit. I need to be able to complete everything by May so I can head out to Indiana and join my wife.”
“But we’re not ranchers, Hank.” She thought of the vast acreage the Vanhoutens held, as well as their livestock.
“I know that. Mr. Vanhouten is selling his stock to the Shepards. I’m just buying up the land around here.”
“Deputy Shepard wanted to know if he could have dinner,” Lacy announced as she entered the dining room. Dave followed a few steps behind, hat in hand.
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Of course it’s not,” Gwen replied, getting to her feet. “There’s plenty. As you can see, we have another guest for the meal, as well.”
“We were just talking a short time ago,” Vanhouten told them.
Dave took a seat at the table and nodded. “That we were.”
Lacy helped Gwen serve Dave and then took a seat beside her sister as the conversation picked up again.
“So you were saying you only bought the land,” Gwen began.
Hank slathered butter on a piece of bread and nodded. “That’s right. I thought it was a good purchase. I hope you agree.”
“What land did you buy?” Lacy asked.
“Mine,” Vanhouten answered for Hank. “I sold it all to him.”
“Mr. Vanhouten has decided to move back East. Mrs. Van-houten has difficulty with our winters here,” Gwen added.
“I had no idea you were thinking about moving from Gallatin House,” Lacy said in an accusing tone. She looked at Gwen as if for answers.
“I don’t plan to move,” Gwen replied, suddenly realizing that perhaps Hank had thoughts on the matter he’d not yet shared. She turned toward her husband. “Do I?”
He laughed, as did Mr. Vanhouten. “No. I have no plans to move,” Hank assured Gwen. “I didn’t even buy the house. Just the land. The house and ten acres are going to someone else.”
“What fool would buy a house and so little land? Why, it’s a good six miles away and surrounded by ranch and farmland,” Lacy said, shaking her head. “That makes no sense.”
Dave cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I guess that fool would be me.”
Everyone but Vanhouten turned in surprise. It was Gwen who questioned him first. “You bought the house?”
“Yeah, I did. I thought it might be a good investment. With the town growing and all, the sheriff and I were talking about how it wouldn’t be long before regular authorities would be needed over this way. I was just trying to think ahead.” He frowned. “It didn’t seem foolish at the time.”
“It wasn’t foolish at all,” Hank replied. “I think it’s a good idea. With the thoughts I have to plot out a real town, it will be perfect. We’ll head in that direction, and you’ll be perfectly situated
to be our town marshal.”
Dave finished eating in a rather abrupt manner and got to his feet without comment. “I guess I’d better get back to work.”
Gwen could see that he was upset. Clearly, Lacy’s comments had hurt his feelings.
“Lacy, come help me,” Gwen commanded. She smiled at Hank. “I’ll leave you two to further discuss your business dealings.”
Waiting until they were nearly at the back door, Gwen turned and met Lacy’s curious gaze.
“What did you need help with?” Lacy asked.
“I didn’t really need any help at all, but I wanted a word with you. Don’t you think you were rather harsh with Dave?”
Lacy looked completely surprised. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I simply thought it was silly for someone to buy a ranch house without buying the ranch.”
“I think you hurt his feelings,” Gwen countered. “He looked upset.”
“Let him be upset, then.” Lacy shook her head. “I don’t see where it’s my fault. He explained why he wanted the house and land, and that much made sense. Of course, he neglected to say he needed to actually get elected to the position of marshal, but his plan made about as much sense as anything Dave does nowadays.”
“Lacy, I can’t believe you’re being so critical. I know you two have had your differences, but why are you so angry now?”
Squaring her shoulders, Lacy met her sister’s eyes with an intensity that Gwen had not expected. “It’s been almost a year, Gwen. A year since Pa was killed, and still no one knows who did it. No one has been punished for it—except for us. I tried to talk to Dave about it again, and he just shrugged and told me to stay out of it.”
“Oh, Lacy.” Gwen reached out to touch her sister’s cheek. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Well, I have been.” Lacy pulled away. “I feel like I’ve let Pa down, and I don’t intend to go on this way. I can’t keep that promise I made to you anymore, Gwen. I have to find out who killed Pa, even if Dave Shepard and the sheriff have given up.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The sun headed slowly west as Beth made her way back to Gallatin House. She’d enjoyed her visit with Patience, talking much as a mother and daughter might, each needing to fill that role in the life of the other. Patience’s daughters were living back East, and she missed them sorely. Beth had been so long without her mother that she often longed for the comfort of speaking with an older woman.
That morning Beth had been bitter about no one remembering her birthday, but Patience had not only remembered it—she had a little celebration just for the two of them. Patience gave her a beautiful blouse, as well as several embroidered handkerchiefs. Then she surprised Beth with a special lunch that included little frosted cakes that Patience called Snow Cakes.
“I bake them in the muffin pan,” Patience had explained, “and then put a little cream filling in each one, then frost them.”
“But why call them Snow Cakes?” Beth asked.
Patience laughed. “Usually I only make them in the winter, because I cool the pans in the snow to make it easier to get the cakes out of the tins. I suppose I should call this batch something else.”
But Beth had assured her they were delicious, no matter how they’d been cooled or what they’d been called. The fact that this dear woman had gone to so much trouble on her behalf moved Beth deeply.
“I’m so glad you girls made it through the winter in good order. It seemed a godsend that you had Hank come into your lives,” Patience had told her as they discussed the future.
“He’s a good man, and he loves Gwen very much,” Beth admitted. “I wish I could find someone to love me half as well.”
Patience laughed. “You will. Just be patient. There’s no need to rush into a lifelong commitment.”
“I’m hardly rushing,” Beth now murmured as she headed home. “I’m twenty-three. Half my life is already gone.”
Hadn’t Justice Halbrook said as much in her latest read, The Copper Canyon Renegade? He was battling the regret of a life only half lived, and he was no more than twenty-five. Surely a year or two wasn’t important when it came to such matters. Beth could certainly share regret and frustration—even if she wasn’t a gunslinger.
Beth pulled her thoughts back to the road as the sound of an approaching rider caught her attention. There had been talk about highwaymen—less-than-savory characters who took advantage of poor travelers. Lacy had suggested she carry a gun with her, but Beth knew she could never shoot another person, even if he was threatening her life.
Glancing over her shoulder, Beth easily recognized Simon Lassiter’s dark brown gelding. She breathed a sigh of relief. Simon was, no doubt, headed home, as well, and thought to accompany her the rest of the way. Beth smiled and waved. Simon reined up as he pulled even with Beth’s wagon. “Howdy, Beth. Headin’ home?”
“Yes,” she said, smiling. “Looks like you’re doing the same.”
“Yup. I was over at the Vandercamp Ranch, helping to do some fencing. I guess you’re on your way back from the Shepard place.”
Beth nodded and stretched awkwardly. Her shoulders were stiff from the drive. Simon instantly noticed. “Say, how about I tie up Moe to your wagon and drive you the rest of the way?”
“That would be wonderful. I think I’d like that very much.” She pulled the horse to a stop and waited for Simon to join her. He made quick work of seeing to his horse, then bounded up into the wagon to squeeze into the seat beside her. Simon was a broad-shouldered man who stood at least six feet one. His presence made Beth feel safe, but he also forced her thoughts steadily on Nick.
“I nearly forgot. Happy birthday,” Simon said as he urged the horse forward.
Beth laughed. “I think a lot of folks forgot, so don’t you think anything of it. Thanks, though. I’ve had a better day than I figured. Patience gave me gifts and cake, and we talked for hours. It was a lovely way to spend the day.”
Simon smiled. “She’s a good woman. I think Jerry Shepard is one of the luckiest men in the valley.”
“I agree. Whenever I miss my mother too much, I just go to Patience. She always makes me feel welcome and loved.”
“I think there’s someone else who’d like to make you feel . . . well . . . both those things,” Simon said rather sheepishly. “I suppose it’s not my place to talk about such matters, though.”
“What do you mean?” Beth looked at him oddly. She knew he wasn’t sweet-talking her. Simon had eyes for little Ellie Martindale at Rafe’s place, and Beth seriously doubted he even thought about other women.
Simon laughed. “I wasn’t going to say anything because I don’t think it’s right to interfere in other people’s lives, but I care too much about Nick not to.”
Beth felt her heart skip a beat. “Then speak your mind.”
“He cares for you.”
Simon said nothing else for a moment, and Beth had no reply to offer. She was relieved when Simon finally continued.
“He thinks you care for someone else, though. Is that true?”
Beth shook her head. “I don’t know who else he thinks I’d care about.” Suddenly she remembered Adrian Murphy’s very public kiss a few months ago. “Oh, I suppose he’s still thinking on Mr. Murphy, but I thought we’d straightened that out.”
“I can’t be sure, but I’m supposing he still thinks Mr. Murphy holds your affections. I know you and Nick haven’t talked much all winter, and to my way of lookin’ at it, Nick might wonder if you’re mad at him.”
Beth felt a little irritation at this statement. “He’s the one who’s been avoiding me. I’ve seen him go out of his way to avoid me at church and at the store.”
Simon nodded. “I know. He’s just trying to guard his heart, Beth. If you don’t have feelings for him, then just forget everything I’ve said. I don’t want to see him get hurt worse in all of this.”
“But I do have feelings for him,” she blurted, surprising herself. “I’m just not entirely sure what t
hose feelings are all about. I miss him when he’s gone. This winter has been hard, since he never came around for lunch or just to chat. I mean, I knew Millie was taking care of you boys, but we . . . I . . . still missed his company.”
She paused and looked away, embarrassed by her declaration. She’d never in her wildest imaginings thought she’d be sitting here talking to Nick’s brother about her heart.
“But do you really care about him?” Simon asked softly. “You know . . . do you . . . well, maybe . . . love him?”
Beth laughed in a nervous manner that she hoped Simon wouldn’t question. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I know what love is or what it requires. I think Nick is a wonderful man. I thought so even before he got right with God, but I especially think so now that he knows Jesus as his Savior and doesn’t go to Rafe’s anymore.” She stopped and fidgeted with her skirt. “I’m sorry, but it seems really strange to be having this conversation with you.”
Simon laughed. “I know. I sure never planned it this way. I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I just care about Nick, and I know he’s head over heels about you.”
Beth looked at him in surprise. “Do you really think so?” She thought back to her beloved romance books and all the tales she’d read over the years. Most men in the books were happy to confess their love. They were dashing, noble souls who easily swept the heroine off her feet. Had she expected no less from Nick?
“I know so,” Simon said. “Just don’t let him know I told you. A fellow ought to be able to speak those words on his own.”
They were nearing the house now, and Beth was almost sorry. “What about you, Simon? I know you’ve been sweet on Ellie for some time. Do you have plans for her?”
Simon frowned. “I spend as much time with her as I can afford.”
How could he talk so casually about paying for Ellie’s affections? She cleared her throat. “I think Ellie’s a wonderful young woman. I feel so sorry for her having to end up in such a position, just because her husband died.”
A Love to Last Forever Page 8
