Heart and Hand: Gold Sky Series

by Carter, Rebel

  “Julie?!” There was a wild look in Will’s eyes that bordered on panic.

  “Yes?” She put her down and stood from the desk. “Will, are you all right?”

  “What? Where did you go?!” Will shut the door with a shove of his hands, and in an instant stood in front of her. He reached out and took hold of her hands. “I couldn’t find you.”

  Julie swallowed hard, giving Forrest a sidelong look where he shined his boots while he waited for her to go through her messages. There was a scared look to Will's grey eyes that urged Julie to provide comfort, though she knew not what from.

  “Shopping," she said, trying to keep her voice as soothing as possible.

  “Already?” Will frowned.

  “Well, yes.” She pulled her hands away from his. Her instinct to soothe him was at odds with the one thought that paraded through her mind: what if he had touched Rosemary with those hands? Her eyes fell to his elbow where the other woman had latched on earlier.

  Will looked like he wanted to snatch her hands back, but he didn't move any closer to her, and said, “I thought this was our family trip into town. Why did you go on without me?"

  “Little bird has a lot on her schedule this week. Even getting a cook in an hour,” Forrest added, looking back down at his boots.

  Julie nodded and let out a frustrated sigh. “This dance is going to be the death of me. I’m going to make coffee. I’ll need it if I want to make any headway on the planning for it. Do you think I could talk Alice into helping?”

  “She’d lend a hand,” Forrest said with a thoughtful look on his face. “You should also ask Rhodes’s wife. She has been dying to help with the dance.”

  “Perfect!” Julie grinned at him and busied herself with stoking the fire at the stove. “Will, do you want any coffee?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him. Though she might not be able to bake, she knew her way around a percolator.

  He stood behind the desk, his eyes trained on the letter she had been writing. “Writing home?” he asked her quietly.

  “Yes, there were messages from my mother. She’s curious about Gold Sky.” Julie smiled at him and turned back to the coffee in front of her. “Seems her interest in the frontier was piqued by my last letter.”

  “Mm.” Will picked up her letter with a raised eyebrow. “And your husband.”

  Julie bit her lip at the look in his eyes. They weren’t the warm gray she had started to grow accustomed to, but were a cold, hard, flinty shade that she had never had fixed on her before.

  “Husbands,” Forrest corrected without looking up, his blond head bent over his boots.

  “Not according to this letter home. Isn’t that right, Julie?” Will gave the letter a little shake before he let it fall back onto the desk.

  Forrest’s hands stilled, and he put his boot down with a frown. “What does he mean?”

  “Well, ah.” Julie’s hand toyed with the percolator she had been preparing. “My family doesn’t know that I married you both.”

  “What do they think?” Will asked, leveling an unblinking stare at her.

  “That I just—just married Forrest.” She bit her lip and looked to the side.

  Forrest winced at the news. “Little bird…” His voice was soft, and his blue eyes were far kinder to look at than Will’s, so Julie took a hesitant step in his direction as she struggled to find the words to explain.

  “They wouldn’t have let me come. And I wanted to do it, I wanted the both of you.” She looked over at Will. He still stood motionless by the desk. “And isn’t it my life? Why shouldn’t I get to pick whom I marry?”

  Forrest let out a sigh and held an arm out to her. “We understand, we—”

  “Oh, we do, do we?” Will’s voice cut Forrest off so sharply that Julie flinched.

  Forrest stood up, his hands on his hips in exasperation. “You heard her, Will. They wouldn’t have let her come.”

  “Well, she’s here now, and she’s fine with lettin’ them think it’s just you.” Will tapped a finger on her letter. “Says you’re kind, gentle, a good man. That you make her happy. Not even trying to set them straight.”

  “Will, I just—I don’t know how yet, but I will.” Julie’s hands twisted in her skirts. “Please, believe me. I know you’re angry.”

  Will scoffed. “Angry about what? That you’re ashamed of me?”

  Julie’s mouth dropped open. “I am not ashamed of you! Take that back this instant.”

  “No.” Will crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at her.

  “Will. Ease up.” Forrest came to stand beside her. “This isn’t an easy situation to explain. Not everywhere is like Gold Sky—not as accepting—especially not high society in New York.”

  Will’s eyes moved between them. “You would say that. You’re the one she’s telling them about. She wants them to know all about you."

  “Will, I’m sorry. Please.” Julie lowered her eyes to the floor. “You’re my husband. Nothing can change what I promised in front of this entire town and God.”

  “You’re damn right nothing can change that,” Will said, striding toward the door with angry steps. He paused and looked back at her. “You’re my wife, Julie Anne, and so long as you remain in Gold Sky, I’ll make sure you don’t forget it for a second.” Will’s eyes flashed at the both of them before he slammed the door behind him.

  “Oh—oh no,” Julie moaned, her eyes filling with tears. She covered her mouth and shook her head while Forrest wrapped his arms around her.

  “Shh, shh, little bird.” He kissed her forehead and led her over to the desk to sit down. “He’ll calm down. I promise. Will’s always been the emotional one. He’s just angry, but it’ll blow over. Everything will be alright once he's had some time."

  “He was so mad,” Julie whispered, looking down at her hands where tears had begun to fall onto her skin. “I just... This is my fault. I should have said something before I wrote the letter."

  “No, it’s not. This is an unconventional marriage, even for Gold Sky.” Forrest crouched down in front of her and wiped at her tears with a handkerchief. “I know it can’t be easy to explain to your family about us. You’re from a proper family. A real debutante. And this is something ladies like you don’t even think about, let alone do.”

  “I just want them to understand. I want them to love us as much as I love us.” Julie took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, trying to stop the tears, but it was no use, and a sob escaped her chest. “I made an awful mess of things with this letter.” She snatched up the sheaf of paper and tore it up in frustration.

  Forrest caught her hands as she threw the paper scraps into the trash. “It’s all right. This is just one of those things. It's no one's fault.”

  “One of those things?” Julie shook her head. “Did you see the look on his face? He hates me.”

  Forrest snorted. “Julie, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Give him time, and he’ll come out of this.”

  Julie nodded, trying to cling to the little bit of hope that Forrest’s words inspired in her. The look of betrayal in Will’s eyes had been nothing short of gut-wrenching.

  If she lived to be a hundred years old, she never wanted to see that expression again.

  Chapter 10

  Julie was thrilled her afternoon meeting with Leslie O’Brennan had gone over well. She had taken to the older woman's motherly vibe. It would be nice to have Leslie's calming presence in the house, especially with the chaos of the dance looming overhead.

  Leslie was in her early fifties, with burnished red hair and laughing blue eyes. She had come to America in her youth from Ireland, and had never regretted it for a moment. After living in New York for two decades, she had made the move to Gold Sky, and all of her efforts went toward working hard to help support her daughter’s children after their father had died in the winter of the previous year.

  It was gratifying to be able to help give back to Gold Sky by employing Leslie. The woman had nearly bu
rst into tears at discovering the proposed wage for the position.

  “This is a godsend,” Leslie had wept, clutching her hand. “Thank you! I’ll not disappoint you. I swear it!"

  Julie had shown Leslie the lay of the house and had set up a washing and cleaning schedule along with the cooking duties. Though, when she really looked at the sheer size of the house, she began to toy with the idea of hiring on an additional pair of hands, but Leslie would hear none of it and assured her that she was more than capable.

  When asked if she had any special requests, Julie had only been able to think of one thing.

  “Can you show me how to bake?”

  “Bake what?”

  Julie sucked in a deep breath and said, “A pie. An apple pie.”

  Leslie raised an eyebrow. “That’s all?”

  “That’s all.” Julie gave a curt nod.

  “Oh, missus. Your husbands won’t want any other pie in the territory. You have my word.”

  Julie's heart soared at the promise. "When can you start?" she asked, beaming at Leslie.

  And it had been as simple as that. Julie was happy at the idea of having a delicious meal for dinner the next day when Leslie would begin working. Her husbands had been patient with her lack of culinary expertise, and it comforted her that they would have a meal they deserved.

  Though a moment later her smile faltered.

  Her husbands.

  Plural.

  A sour taste permeated Julie's mouth, and she sagged forward in her seat at the table with a heavy sigh. How she wished she’d been direct with her family about her plan to marry both men.

  Why had she put off telling them about Will?

  She would have to work on a letter that explained her unique marriage arrangement to them as soon as she was able to get a handle on the spring dance planning. She hadn't had so much as a spare hour to devout to the pile of books she had purchased on her arrival in Gold Sky.

  Disgraceful. Who was she becoming?

  At the realization that she had neglected her reading, Julie resolved she would go by Alice’s home and speak to her about being on the committee, and Rhodes’ wife as well. Between the three of them, it should be doable. And that meant she would be able to get back to her novels at some point, which was all she could really hope for.

  Snatching up a piece of paper and pencil, Julie had only just begun to write a list of possible supplies and necessities for the dance when she heard the front door open and close.

  Julie closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she wondered which of her husbands it would be. Forrest had left to mend a fence with two of the men he had just hired on at the ranch, and she hadn’t a clue where Will had gone after he had left the sheriff’s station that afternoon.

  “Little bird?” Forrest’s voice called out to her, and she let out a breath, relaxing when it wasn’t Will. She wasn’t quite ready to face him just yet.

  “In here!” Julie called out. A minute later Forrest appeared in the kitchen with a crooked smile on his face.

  “You don’t know how nice it is to see you in here. Well, just in our home.” Forrest kissed her cheek. “Makes me feel complete.”

  “Forrest.” Julie blushed, putting her pencil down.

  “Planning for the dance?”

  “Solid logistics ensure a victory.”

  Forrest laughed at her, tweaking her nose. “Sound like a general with that talk.”

  “I’m going to have to be if I have any hope of putting this dance together in a week. I can do it, I think. Plus, I’ll have you to help me if I get stuck.”

  Forrest’s smile fell, and he rocked back on his heels with a sigh. “I wish I could help you. That’s what I came to find you about.”

  “What is it?” Julie bit her lip at the suddenly morose look on Forrest’s face.

  “I’m being called out on an assignment. There’s a gang of robbers causing havoc on the line into Butte City. They are calling in a posse to help with setting it right.”

  “Oh.” Julie gripped his hand tightly. “How long will you be gone?”

  “Could be days. Could be weeks. As long as it takes to put them down.” Forrest rubbed a hand along her cheek. “I just got the message that I’m being sent and wanted to come tell you as soon as I was able. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  Julie sucked in a deep breath at the sudden news. “Is Will going too?”

  Forrest shook his head. “No. They won’t leave this area without a gun. Will is staying behind.”

  Julie nodded, though her stomach twisted at the thought of being left alone with her moody husband. She was nervous about how to act around him after today. What if she made a bigger mess of their marriage before Forrest returned to help fix it?

  “That—that’s good,” she said softly.

  “Don’t worry, little bird.” Forrest hugged her tight. “You’ll be safe with Will. I know he can be gruff, but he loves you. This will be good for both of you. When I get back, the two of you will be like two peas in a pod. I know it."

  “Are you sure?” Julie looked at him doubtfully. “I’m scared I’ll make him angrier with me. I don’t—I just can’t seem to find my footing with him.”

  “That’s just his way. He’ll settle into things, and when he does, you’ll be the first and last thing on the idiot’s mind.”

  Julie smiled at the thought of Will treating her as gently as Forrest did. “I’d like that. You’re both already the first and last thought I have.”

  “Oh, darlin’.” Forrest sighed and kissed her. “You’re so easy to love.”

  Julie leaned into Forrest with a smile. “So are you.”

  They held each other for a bit before Julie spoke again. “We have a cook. She’s promised to show me how to bake the best pie in the territory.”

  Forrest chuckled. “Now that is worth the wage we are paying. I’ll keep that in mind when I’m eating beans out of a can and salt pork.”

  “That sounds…awful.” Julie sniffed delicately.

  “It’s what I signed up to do.” Forrest shrugged, his hands stroking her sides. “Not where I want to be, though, when I could have you pressed up against me.”

  Julie blushed. “Flattery will get you everywhere, sir.”

  “Good, because I intend to have every part of you.” Forrest kissed her jaw, earning him a sharp intake of breath.

  “I’m not sure if that’s what the saying means,” she rasped out, letting Forrest draw her toward the foyer. She knew he wanted to take her upstairs, and there wasn’t a bone in her body saying otherwise. Not when she had a roast ready to be put in the oven. Leslie had been gracious to put it together for her with specific instructions. Dinner was all but taken care of, which meant that Julie was free to take care of her husband...and herself, for that matter.

  “It isn’t?” Forrest gave a mock look of disbelief. “And to think I’ve been doing it wrong all this time.”

  Julie laughed, following him up the stairs. “Trust me. There isn’t a thing you’ve done wrong by me, and that is the honest truth.”

  Forrest let out a groan and before she knew what was happening, he had her up in his arms. “Well then, little bird. Allow me to continue to do right by you one more time before I perform my civic duties.”

  Julie giggled at her husband’s playfulness, but her laughter died away the moment Forrest carried her inside their bedroom. No sooner had he kicked the door shut than Julie realized that Forrest had no intention of doing right by her just once more, but rather several more times. The pair spent the rest of the afternoon wrapped up in one another, and Julie had a flash of worry that Will had come home during their lovemaking, but when they descended the stairs, it was to a quiet house.

  Will still hadn’t returned by dinnertime.

  Forrest kept a smile on his face, though it seemed strained as he reassured her that Will would be home before long and that there was nothing to worry about.

  Try as she might, Julie was unable to believe Forrest’s wo
rds as she had done earlier in the day. It did indeed seem as if there was a reason for concern, because Will didn’t return after dinner, nor after, and not even by the time Julie had fallen into a troubled sleep that night with Forrest wrapped around her. Not even his warmth at her back had set her mind at ease. Not with Will missing.

  “Just out thinking. Does it from time to time,” Forrest told her over breakfast the next morning.

  Julie gave him a tired nod. She hadn’t gotten much sleep, waking at every sound thinking it was Will returning, but each and every creak had been nothing more than the house settling.

  “I’ll let him know you’ve gone if he misses you,” Julie told him.

  “He knows. We got the telegram at the station,” Forrest replied, surprising her. “Thought he’d be home by now to discuss the particulars, but it’ll all work itself out. Let’s get you to the schoolhouse. I don’t want to see you late with all this planning you’re doing. You already look tired, darlin’.”

  “Not tired over the planning,” Julie muttered.

  “I know,” Forrest sighed, helping her into her coat. “I didn’t sleep much either over the idiot.”

  Julie cracked a smile. “At least we are in agreement with what he is.”

  “Unequivocally.” Forrest winked at her, opening the front door. He stopped short when they heard the sound of hooves, and Julie peered around him to see Will making his way down the lane toward them.

  Forrest’s lips pressed into a thin line as they watched him approach. He swung down from the horse, and Julie was startled when he barely gave them a look on his way toward the door.

  “Where you think you’re going?” Forrest asked with a clipped tone.

  Will froze and looked at them. He was now a foot or two away, and Julie felt the hot heat of anger flushing her face when she smelled the sickly sweet scent of cheap perfume wafting from him.

  “To wash," he said, narrowing his eyes at them.

  “Where were you?” Julie asked, forgetting her trepidation. There was no mistaking the cloying smell, and she found she wanted to rip every garment from him that stunk of it and scrub him until it was gone.