Mitch's Win (Montana Collection, Book 1) Read online

  “What was Ma like?” Leroy asked.

  Boaz fidgeted with his collar and quickly tucked his hand back under his arm. “Um… Your ma was a good woman. Nice, sweet, pretty.” He stopped and brought his hand to his eyes, his shoulders shaking.

  Heather and Gerty returned from the kitchen with the pies in time for Boaz to bolt from the chair and hurry for the front door. Gerty called out to him, and Mitch threw his napkin on the table so he could catch up to him. Before Boaz could turn the knob, Mitch grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside.

  In a low voice, Mitch said, “You don’t have to leave.”

  With tears in his eyes, Boaz shook his head. “You don’t understand. She looks just like Hannah.”

  “That’s a good thing, Boaz. She’s her daughter. She’s your daughter. She’s here because you and Hannah loved each other. You had a good marriage. That’s something to be thankful for.”

  Boaz shook his hand off his shoulder. “Had. I had a good marriage. Hannah’s dead, Mitch. She’s not coming back. I keep wishing for her to come back, but she won’t.”

  “I know she won’t. But she gave you two children, and they need you.”

  Boaz shook his head and wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt. “It’s too painful to be in there, Mitch. Hannah’s been gone for two years, and it hasn’t gotten any easier.”

  “It won’t get any easier until you spend more time with them. If you need to cry when you’re with them, then cry. Look, we’ll send Patty and Greg on home. The rest of us will leave you alone so you can spend time with your children. You don’t need all of us hovering around anyway.”

  “No!”

  “Just five minutes. Give it five minutes and then you can go.”

  Boaz grabbed his hat from the coat tree, not bothering to make eye contact with him. He wiped more tears from his face. “I can’t. I’m not strong enough.”

  “Then Ma or I can be with you.”

  Mitch reached for him as he opened the door, but Boaz shoved him away. “Don’t you get it, Mitch? I’m not as strong as you, and I never will be!”

  Mitch called out to him, but he ran out the door and down the porch. He followed him but wasn’t able to catch up to him. “You don’t have to be strong, Boaz!”

  Ignoring him, Boaz hopped up on his horse and kicked it in the sides so it hurried away from the house. Mitch stood on the lawn for a minute before he turned back to the porch where his mother was crying softly into a handkerchief. Heather held his mother and shot him a questioning look. What could he say? Boaz tried and for some reason, he couldn’t do it.

  Greg came out of the house and passed everyone on his way to his horse. He didn’t bother looking Mitch in the eye, and Mitch couldn’t blame him. He knew how bad it looked. It looked as if he planned to have Greg out here with the intent of playing matchmaker, even though he had no idea Heather and Patty planned this whole thing. Mitch didn’t know if Boaz showing up when he did made things worse or not.

  With a heavy sigh, he returned to the porch and slowly climbed the steps. Each step seemed harder to take than the next because now he had to face an even more painful situation: Heather. He tried not to let his disappointment show as he passed her, but he noticed her wince.

  “Mitch?” she hesitantly asked.

  He shook his head and went into the house. Not now. He couldn’t talk to her right after everything that just happened. He needed time to distance himself from the heightened emotions. Without saying anything to Patty who was clearing the table while the children quietly played nearby, he went to the mudroom. Once there, he gathered his work boots and headed out to the barn.

  ***

  Heather sat up in bed, waiting for Mitch to return. The house was quiet. Gerty and the children were asleep. As late as it was, Heather knew she should try to sleep, too, but there was no way she could do that while Mitch was angry. She took a deep breath and glanced around the room which was lit by the kerosene lamp on the dresser. She recalled the night she and Mitch got married and she’d entered this room. She’d been so nervous because she’d never shared a bed with a man before, and now she was nervous because she was afraid she’d have to spend the night alone. Mitch had to be really angry with her if he didn’t want to come to bed tonight.

  She slipped out of bed and went to the window. The moonlight lit the prairie. It was a beautiful view, especially during the day. But her gaze immediately went to the barn. There was the unmistakable light from the lantern he’d taken with him. She sighed. Yes, he was mad, and she didn’t know if she could make things better.

  She bit her lower lip and glanced at the robe hanging over the chair. Maybe she should go to him. Before she could talk herself out of it, she grabbed the robe and put it on. She quietly went down the stairs and slipped on her shoes. As she made her way to the barn, she noted the sound of a coyote howling in the distance and hurried the rest of the way to her destination. Relieved she made it safely to the barn, she slowed her steps as soon as she entered it.

  The horses and two milk cows were resting in their stalls, and in the corner of the barn, where the lantern sat on a table, was Mitch. He was sorting through a pile of nails but looked in her direction. The impassive expression on his face made it hard for her to determine if he was glad she was there.

  Crossing her arms, she took a tentative step forward. “It’s getting late. I was wondering if you’re coming to bed?”

  He turned his gaze back to the nails and put one in a jar. “I’ll go when I’m ready.”

  Surprised by the gruff tone in his voice, she asked, “How long will you be mad at me?”

  He set another nail in a different jar and paused.

  The tension between them was so thick, she didn’t know how to handle it. There had been times when she’d displeased her parents, but they came right out and told her what she’d done wrong. She didn’t know what to do with someone who kept quiet. She stood still, not brave enough to venture any closer to him. A horse let out a soft neigh from a stall, and she welcomed the sound because it was better than the horrible silence that had fallen between her and her husband.

  Finally, after what seemed like years, Mitch let out a heavy sigh and faced her. “Where’s the cameo?”

  Puzzled, she asked, “Cameo?”

  His lips formed a thin line. “Don’t you remember it? I bought it for you last week.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Oh, I let Patty borrow it. I thought it went well with her dress.”

  “I notice it’s not in the box I made for you to keep it in.”

  “With everything that’s happened tonight, Patty must’ve forgotten to give it back. I’ll get it back next time I see her.”

  He shook his head and placed one of his hands on his knee. “I bought that cameo for you. I don’t make a lot of money, and I try to save what little I make. I wanted to give you a gift, something you’d wear, something to make you think of me. But since I gave it to you, you didn’t wear it once. And tonight, you gave it to someone else to wear.”

  “I’m sorry, Mitch. I didn’t think of it that way.”

  “No, you didn’t. In fact, you didn’t bother to think of me at all!” He turned from her and placed his arms on the table, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath.

  She struggled for the right words to say, but all she kept thinking was that she was sorry so she apologized again. She waited for him to respond, but he kept chucking nails into the jars. Finally, she walked over to him. “I don’t know what else to say. I can’t go back and not lend it to her.”

  He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Didn’t it ever occur to you that I might like to see you wearing it?”

  “I was waiting for a special occasion.”

  He looked at her. “Tonight seemed pretty special to you since you let Patty wear it.”

  “It wasn’t a special night for me. It was a special night for her. She was trying to impress Greg.”

  “Well, I got news for you, Heather. She
didn’t impress him. The only thing the two of you did tonight was make him angry. He doesn’t want to get married, and it’s his right to not get married if he doesn’t want to.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “Sometimes men think they want something but are better off with something else.”

  “Are you saying that men are too stupid to figure out what they want? That they need a woman to tell them what to do?”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

  “Really?” He turned toward her, his jaw clenched. “Then what are you saying?”

  She fingered the sleeves of her robe. “You don’t have to yell.”

  After a long pause, he took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I’m not trying to yell. I don’t want to be angry. You and Patty need to leave Greg alone. Greg’s a good friend, and I can’t have him thinking that if we invite him over, you’re going to play matchmaker. Whether you agree with him or not, he’s made the decision to be a bachelor. You should care enough about him to honor that decision.”

  “But he’d make a wonderful husband.”

  He stiffened. “As opposed to who? Me?”

  “What?” She blinked in surprise.

  “If I was there that day at the mercantile when your brother tried to get money from you, I would’ve told him to get lost just like Greg did.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “A lot, apparently. That’s the reason Greg is so wonderful.”

  Getting his meaning, she rolled her eyes. “Wonderful for Patty. Not me. I can’t believe you’d even think I’d entertain thoughts of him. I just thought fate could use a little shove. They’re destined to be together.”

  “They are not!”

  She jerked, shocked by the anger in his voice.

  “I’m warning you, Heather. Leave him alone. He doesn’t want to marry Patty. If you must try your matchmaking, do it on someone else.”

  “You’re warning me?”

  “Yes. As your husband, I’m putting my foot down. You will leave Greg alone, and you’ll get that cameo back and wear it because it was my gift to you.”

  “And what if I don’t want to wear it?” As soon as she said the words, she regretted them. “I’m sorry, Mitch. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

  “It’s nice to know how little I mean to you.” He stood up and walked by her.

  She turned and followed him. “I meant that I don’t want to wear it just because you order me to.”

  He whirled around and faced her.

  Startled, she stepped back.

  “I shouldn’t have to order you to wear something I gave you, Heather. You’re my wife. You should want to wear it, but you don’t want to wear it because you haven’t.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Forget it. It’s just a cameo. Let Patty keep it.”

  Before she could respond, he strode out of the barn. After a moment, she followed him, but by the time she reached the barn door, she couldn’t tell which direction he went. Everything was so quiet out here, and worse than the deafening silence was the darkness. “Mitch?” she called out, but there was no response. And quite frankly, she wasn’t surprised.

  Chapter Twelve

  Heather spent a half hour in the barn, hoping Mitch would come back, but when he didn’t, she decided she better go back to the house. At least there, she’d be safe in bed instead of out in the quiet night. Shivering more from fear of what might be out there in the darkness than from the chill in the air, she pulled the robe tighter around her and headed out of the barn.

  She made it to the porch of the house when someone called her name. She bristled and turned in the direction where she heard the whisper. It couldn’t be Mitch. Mitch wouldn’t whisper. She narrowed her eyes and peered into the shadows of the corner of the porch. A man stepped forward, and she got ready to scream when she realized it was Abe.

  “What are you doing here?” she hissed, scanning the darkness to make sure Mitch wasn’t nearby. That’s all she needed. After the way he reacted to her lending the cameo to Patty, he’d probably assume that she was in cahoots with her brother, especially since her brother wanted money. Before he could step into the moonlight, she went over to him. Keeping her voice low, she added, “We’re done talking.”

  “You didn’t hear me out,” he replied, his hat in his hands.

  “I heard you just fine. You wanted money.”

  “Because I’ve fallen on hard times.”

  She snorted. “That’s your own doing, and you know it.”

  He nodded, his expression contrite. “You’re right. I did wrong by you. I promised to send you back East and I didn’t.”

  “Well, you’re not going to send me back now. I have a husband and children to care for.” And even if Mitch was upset with her, she knew they’d work through it.

  “I don’t want to take you away from here. You did good in marrying him. This is a nice house, and he’s got a good job. He’ll provide for you very well for the rest of your life.”

  Not liking the way this conversation was going, she narrowed her eyes at him. “I know what you’re saying, Abe, and the answer is no. You’re not getting any of Mitch’s money.”

  “Don’t be like that, Heather. With the amount Mitch has, he won’t even notice it’s gone. All I need is enough so I can go to the Yukon.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “What do you want to go to Canada for?”

  “They got gold up there,” he said, excitement bubbling from his voice. “The gold rush is done in California, but it’s booming up there! Come on, Heather. I need you to give me money so I can pursue my dream.”

  “Pursue your dream? All you want to do is get money without working for it. That’s not a dream. It’s irresponsible. Do you know why Mitch is doing as well as he is? It’s because he works hard. He’s up at dawn and he doesn’t go to bed until the sun goes down. And in between that time, he isn’t sitting around doing nothing, which is what you do.”

  She turned to go to the front door, but he grabbed her arm to stop her. “Oh, that’s not fair, Heather. I’ve had some rotten luck over the years.”

  “You got that rotten luck because you refused to work. Find a job here and save up the money to go up north.”

  “But I need to be quick if I want to get the gold. You don’t understand. An opportunity like this doesn’t come along often. The rush in California was over almost as soon as it began.”

  “Then you better find a job fast.” She yanked her arm out of his hand and hurried to the front door. Looking back at him, she added, “You better get out of here before Mitch finds you. He’s not happy with you after you tried to sell me.”

  Before he could respond, she entered the house and ran up to her bedroom.

  ***

  “I feel awful,” Patty said as she and Heather sat on the porch the next day.

  Heather held Hannah in her lap while Leroy collected rocks in the yard. Stroking Hannah’s back, she looked at Patty and sighed. “Don’t feel awful. Neither one of us knew it would bother Mitch if you wore the cameo.”

  “Of course, it bothered him. I think it’d bother any man if his wife handed his gift to another woman to wear.”

  Heather winced. She understood how her action looked to Mitch. She hadn’t understood it at the time, but she did now. If she could, she’d do things differently.

  “I should stop hoping Greg will look my way,” Patty said, a note of regret in her voice. “Eve’s right. Men don’t want a woman who dictates things for them. I’ve known Greg since I was a little girl, and never once did I see him looking that upset. I don’t think he’ll ever talk to me again. I hope he won’t do the same to you and Mitch. Mitch and Greg are good friends. I’d hate to think I created a rift between them.”

  “I don’t think you did. Greg has to know that Mitch didn’t approve of what we did.”

  Patty nodded. “I’m sorry, Heather. Even though you keep saying it’s not my fault, I feel responsible for what happened last night.”
r />   “But I was the one who didn’t tell Mitch you were coming.”

  “Oh, let’s face it. We’re both to blame.”

  Despite the dour situation, Heather grinned. “You’re a good friend, Patty.”

  “So are you, but I won’t let you get in trouble with Mitch for my sake. Is there anything I can do?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s best to wait until he’s acting like his old self.”

  “Acting like his old self?”

  Heather nodded and glanced at Hannah who’d fallen asleep. Lowering her voice so Leroy wouldn’t overhear, she explained, “He slept on the couch last night.”

  “Oh, Heather. Now I feel even worse.” She shook her head and leaned back in her chair. “I suppose Eve is right. Women should let men do the leading. She says I’m not feminine enough, and she’s right.”

  “I don’t know if she’s right or not.”

  “She’s got to be. She’s got a husband, and I don’t.”

  “I got one, too, and I had to be persistent to get him.”

  Patty’s eyebrows rose in interest. “Did you demand he marry you that night at the poker game?”

  As she watched Leroy knock over a pile of rocks, she thought over her question. “I don’t know if demand is the right word. I think it was more like plead. I knew if he didn’t marry me, then my brother would try to get me involved in another poker game.”

  “So you appealed to Mitch’s chivalrous nature. Hmm… I wonder if I should do that with Greg.”

  “I don’t know. My situation was pretty desperate.” Heather tried to decide whether she should tell Patty more about what happened last night, but then decided she needed to tell someone since it bothered her. Clearing her throat, she began, “My brother isn’t the kind of man who gives up on what he wants, and all he wants is money. Problem is, he’s no good at making it or keeping it.”

  “Which is why he tried to sell you in a game?”

  “He was using me as a bet, but he planned to win the hand. He thought he could win. He said he was going to pay for my train ticket and then use the rest of the winnings for his trip. I never should have agreed to it, but I didn’t know what else to do. I had no money of my own. Originally, he was never supposed to put me up as part of the bet at all. He even had me wear a cloak and put the hood over my head so no one knew I was a woman. At the time, I didn’t see the harm in it.”