by Mary Burton
Matthias closed the door after Abby as the boys moved down the narrow center aisle. He was in too good a mood to be annoyed with Mrs. Clements’s meddling. “We weren’t in a rush.” He squeezed Abby’s hand, remembering how she’d moaned when he’d made love to her this morning before dawn.
Abby blushed as she ducked her head and pretended to look at a bolt of fabric.
The boys ran to a display of toys on the side of the counter. There was a set of jacks and a red ball.
Matthias couldn’t help but grin. Last night had been beyond anything he could have imagined. He’d never dreamed life could be so damn good again.
Mrs. Clements glared at them both, then grinned. She reached for a large jar filled with sugar sticks and pulled out two. Coming around the counter, she handed each boy a candy stick. “You two sit out front on the porch. I don’t want sticky fingers near my new fabrics.”
The boys’ faces split into wide grins and they started for the door.
Abby stopped them before they could slip outside. She knelt in front of them and whispered something in their ears.
The boys turned and looked at Mrs. Clements. “Thank you.”
The older woman winked. “You’re welcome.” When the boys were gone, Mrs. Clements planted her hands on her hips. “Well, I can see you two look like the cats that caught the canary.”
Abby laughed. “We’re heading back to the ranch and we wanted to say our goodbyes.”
Mrs. Clements hugged her. “I wish you all the happiness in the world.” She drew back and dabbed the corner of her apron to her eye. “I know you two will be very happy. Matthias, I hear Mr. Stokes plans to meet you at the railroad and inspect your horses.”
“He does in four weeks. I want to get to market so that I’m back before the first snowfall. I’d just as soon not leave home any longer than is necessary.”
Abby smiled and took his hand in hers.
“We’ll keep an eye out for Abby while you’re gone. Holden will make regular stagecoach stops between now and then, so she’ll have more company than she can shake a stick at.”
Matthias nodded. “I appreciate that. After Collier’s outburst yesterday, I don’t like leaving her alone.”
Mrs. Clements waved her hand. “He won’t be trouble. Likely he’s already sobered up and gotten back to his ranch.”
“Let’s hope so,” he said. Collier did have a lot of work to do and any sane man would put aside grudges for the sake of his ranch. But Collier wasn’t always sane.
The sound of the boys’ voices drifted into the store.
“We better get going before they get into trouble,” Abby said.
“Right. See you soon, Mrs. Clements.”
Abby smiled. “Thank you again.”
They turned and moved toward the door. Matthias’s hand was on the door when Mrs. Clements called out. “Admit it, Matthias. You and Abby make a great team. And I knew best.”
Matthias pressed his hand into Abby’s back. He liked touching her. “You win, Mrs. Clements. You were right. We’re a great team.”
Satisfied, she folded her arms over her chest. “Ah, it’s the sweetest sound in the world—a man admitting a woman is right.”
A great team. Not a great marriage. Not a great love, but a team, as if they were horses or mules.
The words stuck in Abby’s mind over the next few weeks, though she did her best to shake them.
During the days over the next weeks, work dominated their lives. Matthias herded his horses from the grasslands and corralled them at the ranch in preparation for the trip to the railhead. He worked from sunup to sundown and she rarely saw him during the day. Abby’s days were just as busy. She not only had the boys and her usual chores, but their home was becoming a regular coach stop on Holden’s route.
But the nights were different. They belonged to Abby and Matthias. After the boys crawled into their new bed in the loft, they would slip into their own bed. Their nights were filled with lovemaking. She felt closest to Matthias during these quiet hours, when nestled against him, she would whisper her love for him. He would hug her close and kiss her on the cheek, but he never returned the sentiment. Still, with him so close she could almost convince herself that he loved her, too.
It was past two o’clock on a Sunday in August when Abby and the boys went into the barn to check on a newly acquired mare. Matthias had promised to be home early that day so that they could all share an early supper to celebrate her birthday. But he was already an hour overdue.
Abby hadn’t started to worry yet. Matthias was working hard and likely had forgotten today was Sunday and that she’d planned a special meal. He had forgotten last week as well. And the week before.
The other weeks she’d shrugged off his tardiness. He had to work and she understood that. The stakes were high now and soon it would be make-or-break time for the ranch.
But this morning she’d asked him to make a special effort to be home on time. It was her birthday, she’d explained, and she wanted a special family dinner. Matthias had promised and kissed her goodbye and left.
Abby and the boys approached the stall. The mare, black with white spots, snorted.
“She doesn’t look happy,” Quinn said.
“She’s just getting used to her new home,” Abby said. She held out a handful of oats. The mare pawed at the ground but didn’t approach. “It’s best we leave her be.”
“But I want to pet her,” Tommy said.
Abby smoothed his wild hair flat. He and his brother both needed haircuts. “Maybe tomorrow. She needs a little more time.”
“We should give her a name,” Quinn said.
There was no sense naming the animals. Soon they’d leave with the others. “You two must be getting hungry.”
“I am,” Tommy said.
“When is Pa going to come home?”
She brushed his long bangs from his forehead. “Soon. Let’s get you two fed.”
“Can we have a piece of the cake you made?”
She’d hoarded eggs for a week so she’d have enough to make the cake. “Of course.”
A half hour later the boys had eaten their fill of stew and each had eaten two pieces of cake. With only about a half hour of daylight left, she’d sent them out to play while she cleaned up.
Irritated that Matthias had forgotten her birthday, she started to clear the table, stacking the dirty dishes in the sink and replacing Matthias’s unused ones on the shelf.
She lifted her white tablecloth by the corners and took it to the doorstep where she gently shook it out. She was being silly, she knew, but for just a few hours she wanted Matthias to put her before the ranch.
Her face flushed, she carefully folded the linen cloth until it was a neat square. Her mother had served all her birthday dinners on this tablecloth. Abby had hoped to carry on the tradition, but it seemed Montana didn’t allow such luxuries.
She heard Matthias’s deep voice outside. He was home safe.
Ten minutes later after he’d unsaddled and watered his horse, Matthias, with a boy under each arm, walked toward the house. All three were grinning.
She wiped her hands on her apron, and managed a smile. “So what have you three been up to?”
“Nooothing,” the boys said.
Matthias set the boys down and patted each on the bottom. “You two go wash up for supper.”
“They’ve already eaten,” Abby said. “I held supper as long as I could but they were hungry.”
His gaze skimmed the table to the half-eaten cake. “I’ve missed another supper. I’m sorry. But I got a good bit of work knocked out today.”
Not just any supper. “The ranch comes first.”
He walked to the counter and tore off a piece of bread from a half-eaten loaf. “The place looks great. You’ve been cleaning.” He smiled, chuckling. “I’ve never known a woman to clean like you do.”
“I just want everything to be perfect.”
He brushed her cheek with his hand. “It
is.”
No it wasn’t! She longed to turn her face into his chest and beg him to hug her. She needed reassurance now. She needed him to remember that this was her birthday. She needed him to love her.
Instead, she asked, “How is the herd looking?”
“Fat and ready to travel. The other homesteaders and I should be leaving in a couple of days as planned. If we don’t run into any trouble we should be back by mid-September.”
“Such a long time.”
“I’ve always hated the time away from the ranch. But there’s no getting around it.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “But I’ll be back before you know it.” He pinched another piece of bread cooling on the kitchen table and popped it in his mouth.
“Wonderful.”
His eyes narrowing, he tapped his long finger against his thigh. “What’s wrong? You’re not yourself.”
She shrugged. “I suppose I’m just worried. I think about you on that trail.”
He laid his hands on her shoulders. “I’ve driven the cattle and horses enough times. There’s no cause for you to worry.”
She ducked her eyes. “I’m being silly.”
His eyes narrowed a fraction. “What’s eating at you, Abby?”
“Today’s my birthday,” she said brightly.
Matthias shoved long fingers through his hair. “And I forgot.”
“You did.”
“Look, I am sorry. There’s just so damn much work to be done.”
“I know! The ranch always comes first.”
Irritation flashed in his eyes. “For now, yes. That’s the way it has to be.”
Her stomach tightened into knots. “I never thought I could ever grow to hate this place, but I do now.”
His face paled. He looked as if she’d ripped the heart out of him and instantly she regretted what she’d said.
“Matthias,” she said, moving toward him. Lord, but she’d been churlish.
He shook his head. “There’s nothing more to say now.”
“Don’t shut me out.”
Before he could respond, Tommy and Quinn screamed. “Ma! Pa! The gate to the corral is open.”
Their discussion forgotten, they ran outside. They found the boys standing close to the corral gate, which was wide open. The horses pranced on the far side of the corral.
Matthias reached for his gun, ready to shoot any horse that bolted toward the boys.
Abby hugged the boys. “Your father said to stay away from the corral.”
“We found the gate open,” Quinn said.
Matthias went for the gate. “Don’t lie to me, boy. Which one of you opened the gate?”
Before the children could answer or Matthias could reach the gate, a shot rang out, spooking the horses inside the corral. Several of the horses reared and started to bolt toward the open gate as Abby reached the boys. She plastered their bodies against the gate, hers shielding the boys.
Matthias had only a split second to get out of the way of the charging horses. As he dove to the side he saw the flash of sunlight on a gun barrel. He hit the ground hard and rolled. That’s when he saw Collier, on horseback, a hundred feet away. The lowlife fired another shot in the air, panicking the horses more. He started to ride off.
Collier had opened the gate.
A large black gelding rose up by Matthias. He rolled out of the way before the horse’s hooves drove into the ground.
Energy snapped through his veins as he got to his feet and pulled his gun from his holster. In one fluid move, he raised his pistol and fired at Collier. He caught the rancher in the shoulder, but the man managed to stay mounted on his horse. He reined his horse around and took off.
Determined to hunt the bastard down and kill him, Matthias turned to grab the first horse he could. But thoughts of Collier vanished when he caught sight of Abby and the children. The scene he witnessed would haunt him for the rest of his days.
A black mare raced back toward Abby and the children. The horse reared, its hooves rising high above Abby’s head. She cringed and covered Tommy and Quinn’s bodies with her own. The children screamed as the horse’s hoof came down hard on Abby’s head.
When she woke up, she saw Matthias’s face. Pinched with worry, the lines on his face looked deeper, as if he’d aged twenty years.
“Matthias,” she said. “Where’s Tommy and Quinn?”
Tears welled in her husband’s eyes. “They’re fine. You saved them.” He swallowed as if struggling to regain control. “They are outside with Holden now.”
“Holden is here?”
“He came to deliver news of Collier.” His jaw tightened, released. “Holden found his body. Apparently, he’d stopped by the creek to nurse the bullet hole I put in him. He was mauled and killed by a bear.”
She nodded, unable to summon sympathy for the man who’d endangered her boys. She tried to sit up, wincing at the pain that cracked through her skull. “My head.”
Matthias pressed a dampened cloth to her head. “The horse’s hoof clipped your head. You’re lucky to be alive. Another inch and the horse would have crushed your skull.”
She moistened her lips, and then tried again to sit up. Pain shot through her body. “I hurt all over.”
Gently he touched her face with his hands. “Lie down. The last thing you need to be doing is sitting up.”
Her mind felt foggy. “I’ve got a pie in the oven.”
He smiled grimly. “The pie burned. Two days ago.”
“Two days!”
“You’ve been out for two days.”
She noticed then the thick stubble on his face. “But the horses…the stampede.” The details were all so fuzzy. “Did you get the horses back?”
He took her hand in his. “Practical Abby.” He kissed her hand. “No, I didn’t get the horses. I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“But you needed to sell the horses to the railroad. All that money.”
He kissed her forehead gently. “The money doesn’t matter. You do.”
The emotion in his voice tore at her heart.
Tears burned her eyes. “I was being so silly about my birthday. I didn’t mean what I said.”
“I love you,” he said. “I should have said it weeks ago.”
“Matthias.” To see this proud man so upset broke her heart. “You don’t have to say what you don’t mean. I understand you can give only what’s in your heart.”
“I do mean it.” He kissed her gently on the lips.
She closed her eyes, ashamed of her own actions. “I shouldn’t have overreacted.”
“Abby, look at me.”
She opened her eyes. She saw no traces of anger in Matthias’s dark eyes, only pain and sadness.
“Abby, I made you a promise and I broke it.”
“You don’t have to explain. You have worked so hard to make this place a success. And I said horrible things that I really didn’t mean.”
“None of it matters without you,” he said simply. “And I should have told you that.”
“Matthias, please don’t.” She didn’t want pity.
He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you. These last two days and nights, I thought I might lose you.” He swallowed. “It would kill me if I lost you.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she stared up at him. “Oh, Matthias, you will never lose me.”
“I love you, Abby Barrington.”
“And I love you, Matthias.”
Epilogue
May, 1880
Hilda Clements was bone-tired. But it was a good kind of tired.
She had to smile as she eased her backside into the chair by her writing table. The light from her lantern glowed onto a freshly written letter on cream-colored paper, a half-full inkwell and pen.
This year was going to be her store’s most profitable. The railroad was bringing its rail line right past Crickhollow and soon the valley would be growing by leaps and bounds. Matthias and Abby Barrington’s ranch had turned a fine profit last ye
ar. Matthias, with Holden’s help, had rounded up his horses and sold them to the railroad. The Barrington horses were considered the best in the territory and he received top dollar for them. Abby’s cooking had also turned their ranch into a prosperous stagecoach stop.
Two months ago they welcomed an addition to their family. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was one of the prettiest little babies she’d ever seen and there was no denying that Matthias, Quinn and Tommy doted on her.
Holden said that Matthias had nearly worried himself sick until the babe had safely arrived, but Abby had sailed through the delivery.
Hilda chuckled. She’d never seen a man more crazy in love with his wife than Matthias Barrington. Her matchmaking had turned out just fine. Fact, she doubted Matthias could have chosen a woman better himself.
Smiling, she dipped the nib of her pen into an inkwell.
Dear Rose—
I received your letter yesterday and enjoyed reading it very much. To answer your questions, I run the stagecoach line in Crickhollow, Montana. I’ve lived here for eight years and my business is thriving. In the last year alone, I’ve added two more coaches and drivers to meet the growing demand. Crickhollow is a fine town, with a hotel, livery and a bustling mercantile. My life lacks only one thing—a wife, who’ll share my life with me.
Rose, I’d be pleased to hear from you.
Yours truly,
Holden McGowan
Hilda stared at the signature at the bottom of the letter, satisfied that it looked very much like Holden’s bold handwriting.
Holden was a good man who worked hard. Despite his success, he’d taken no time to move out of that shack he’d built behind the livery. He rarely had a proper meal and he’d grown too thin.
The truth was the man simply needed a wife, even if he wasn’t smart enough to see that.
So, she’d taken matters into her own hands. She’d placed an ad in the San Francisco Morning Chronicle.
Hilda tapped her finger on the assortment of letters on her desk. She’d received three dozen letters from women interested in marrying Holden, but none had stood out like Rose O’Neil.
