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

  As much as her heart ached for Boaz, Mitch and Gerty, she knew he was right. “I know, Mitch. Sometimes love is doing what’s hard but necessary.”

  He nodded and removed his clothes in a slow, methodical pace that told her he couldn’t stop wondering if he’d just made the wrong decision.

  “You did the right thing,” she told him. “He’ll never learn to stand on his own as long as you’re taking care of things for him.”

  He returned to the bed and slid under the covers. He drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “If I did the right thing, why does it hurt?”

  Wrapping her arm around his waist, she gave him a light squeeze. “Because it’s hard to watch people we love suffer, even from their own decisions.”

  He released his breath and pressed his cheek against the top of her head. A silent hour passed before they fell back to sleep.

  ***

  As Heather dressed the next morning, she worried what kind of trouble Boaz had gotten into. While she contemplated asking Mitch, she surmised that either Mitch didn’t know and couldn’t tell her or that she was better off not knowing. She’d spent enough time in the saloon to know that unsavory men hung out there. Most of them were desperate, and desperate men seemed to be capable of doing just about anything. With a shiver, she finished dressing and headed downstairs to help Gerty with breakfast before the children woke up.

  When she got to the kitchen, she caught sight of Mitch shaking his head as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Next to him, his mother held onto his arm and gave him a pleading look.

  “What else did Elliot say?” she asked.

  “Nothing. That was all, Ma.” He shook her hand off his arm. “I told you I wasn’t going to run to town to bail Boaz out of whatever trouble he gets into from now on.”

  “But he’s your brother.”

  After he gulped down the coffee, he slammed the cup on the table. “He’s a gambling drunk! He can’t hold onto two cents without wasting it at the poker table or on liquor.”

  “It’s because he’s living in sorrow.”

  “It’s been two years since Hannah died. Two years. And he has two children he won’t even take care of because that liquor is more important to him than they are.”

  Gerty wiped the tears from her eyes with her apron. “But Mitch, he lost so much. Hannah was his whole world.”

  “You don’t think I hated losing her when she married him instead of me?”

  “Well, you got Heather.”

  “Yes. Now. And I love her. But Heather wasn’t here back then. It hurt when I watched Hannah marry Boaz instead of me, but I didn’t drown my heartache in alcohol. I pressed on. He needs to do the same.”

  “You were always stronger than him.”

  “Well, it’s time he learned to get strong. You really want him to be dependent on me for the rest of his life? He’s a grown man, and it’s time he acted like one.”

  She gripped his shirt and cried harder. “What if he lost his horse? What if they beat him up? What if,” her voice trembled, “what if he’s dead?”

  He closed his eyes for a moment and gently removed her hands from his shirt. “Whatever happened to him last night was his own doing,” he softly replied. “He’s not a little boy anymore. You can’t stop bad things from happening to him.”

  His mother let out a loud sob before she buried her face in her apron.

  As Mitch turned to leave the kitchen, his gaze met Heather’s, and he sighed.

  Taking that as her cue, she stepped into the room and clasped her hand around his. “I’ll get breakfast ready while you take care of the chores.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Alright. I’ll be back later.”

  After he left, Heather turned to Gerty, unsure of what to say. The poor woman was heartbroken. Heather closed the space between them and gave her a hug, letting Gerty cry for as long as she needed to.

  ***

  Boaz groaned. His head hurt. Worse, his sides and face hurt. He struggled to recall the events from the night before, but it was a blur. The last clear thing he remembered was sitting next to Abe at a poker table. The beer kept coming, and he lost count of how much he drank. At one point, he joined the game and was hopeful because he was doing well, thanks to Abe. But something bad must have happened at some point. He was in pain. A hangover was something he was used to. The aches in his body was a different matter.

  He turned his head to the side and winced. The side of his head hurt. Reaching up, he touched it, noting the matted hair that had something slightly sticky in it. Forcing his eyes open, he waited until his vision cleared so he could see what sticky substance was on his fingers. Blood. He grimaced and touched his head again. He briefly had a recollection of someone smashing a bottle over his ear. Was he in a brawl? He had to have been.

  Someone moaned, sounding just as awful as he felt. Gingerly, he rolled to his side so he could see who it was. It took him a moment to recognize Abe since he was lying on his stomach, his bruised face turned slightly away from him. Using all his strength, Boaz got on his hands and knees and crawled across the alley until he reached him.

  “A…” He cleared his throat and swallowed a couple times to get rid of the dry feeling in his mouth. It didn’t work completely, but at least his tongue felt better. “Abe?”

  Abe didn’t answer.

  He reached out and tapped Abe’s shoulder. “Abe?” he asked in a louder voice.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Abe opened his eyes. “Where am I?”

  “We’re in the alley behind the saloon. Can you sit up?”

  Grunting, Abe struggled to sit. “Guess so. What happened last night?”

  “I don’t remember.” He sat against the wall and winced when a sharp pain ran up his side. He was going to have these bruises for weeks. “I think we lost.” Something wiggled in his mouth, and it took him a moment to realize it was one of his back teeth. “And not just money.” He spit his tooth out and flung it across the alley. “I can’t believe this happened.” Never once in all the times he’d gone to the saloon had he ever been as bad off as he was now.

  “That no good Eugene was cheating,” Abe growled and clutched his sides. “He sent his men to take care of us when I figured out what he was doing. Miserable low life. Just cause he can’t win on his merits, it doesn’t give him a right to cheat us honest players.”

  “Is that what happened?”

  “Yep. It’s all coming back to me now.”

  “It’s a blur to me.”

  “You drank more than me. That’s why.”

  Boaz nodded and rested his head against the wall.

  “We ran into some bad luck last night,” Abe continued, touching the bruise on his cheek. He grimaced. “They got us good. Not that there was much of a contest. Four of them and two of us. We should be grateful we’re even alive.”

  “True.” He closed his eyes, willing his dizziness aside. After a long moment of silence, he felt better and opened his eyes. “Abe?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What kind of life is this?”

  Abe leaned forward and retrieved his dirty hat. He plopped it on his head. “It’s our life.”

  “But is this the kind of life we should want? I’m not happy being this way.”

  “I wouldn’t be living like this had Eugene played honestly last night. You know I wanted to give Heather and your brother money to make amends. Now I won’t get my chance.”

  Boaz thought of Mitch. “I don’t think my brother wants money. I think he just wants me to clean up my act and be the man I used to be. Same is probably true with your sister. I don’t think you need money to get her forgiveness.”

  “No?”

  “No. What good is money anyway? Seems to me that if you’re not using it for shelter, food, or clothing, it doesn’t do much good. Your sister and my brother have everything they need. A little more won’t do anything else. I thought it’d be a nice gesture to offer them some of that money you gave me, but now that
I think about it, I think they would rather have us stop living the lives we’ve been living.”

  Abe scanned his body which was covered in bruises and grime. “You might be right.”

  Encouraged, Boaz continued, “Why don’t we go straight? No more gambling, no more drinking. Get good jobs. Find a place to live. We could share an apartment to save on expenses.” And maybe if he had someone to go through the struggle of changing his life with, he’d succeed this time. “We could help each other when one of us gets the urge to go back to drinking or gambling. No one but you understands how hard it is to resist that kind of temptation.”

  “Maybe,” he slowly replied, studying his boots. “I’d sure feel better about doing that if I knew my sister forgave me.” His gaze met Boaz’s. “She won’t give me a chance to say sorry though. Not if it’s just me anyway.”

  “What do you mean, if it’s just you?”

  Letting out a long sigh, Abe shrugged. “She doesn’t trust me. I don’t blame her. Wouldn’t trust myself either if I were her, but…”

  “But what?”

  Abe studied him then shook his head. “No.”

  Interested, Boaz straightened up and focused on him. “What is it? Maybe I can help.”

  “Well…maybe… But it’s not right to use you that way.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “Use me how?”

  “I was going to suggest you talk to Heather, tell her you have something for your children. Then ask her to meet you somewhere. And when she comes, I’ll be there and try to get her forgiveness.”

  “I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

  “I’d be asking you to lie for me. She’d think she was doing something for you, but she’d really be doing something for me.”

  “All you’d be doing is apologizing. I don’t see the harm in that.”

  Abe scratched his jaw. “Maybe there is no harm in it.”

  “Sure, there’s not. And if she forgives you, you’d want to change?”

  “Of course. With her forgiving me, I’d have a reason to change.”

  And if Abe was going to turn his life around, then Boaz would have someone to go through the struggle with. He’d also be able to help Abe overcome his struggles as well. Together, they’d pull through everything and be all the better for it. “Alright,” Boaz agreed. “I’ll lead Heather to you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Heather picked up the damp shirt from the pile of clean laundry and hung it on the clothesline. Of all the chores she did, she hated this one the most. But at least today she only had to wash the clothes instead of the bed sheets. Once the shirt was securely on the line, she twisted her hair and rolled it into a bun. That was better. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she leaned down and picked up Hannah’s dress.

  She heard a horse neigh and looked up from the basket. A man was riding toward the house. There was something familiar about him. She quickly hung up the dress then stepped around the clothesline. Holding her hand over her eyes, she studied the rider. After a minute, she realized it was Boaz. Excited, she rushed to the house. Gerty would be relieved to know he was coming!

  When she ran into the kitchen, Gerty looked up from the table where Leroy and Hannah were eating. “Is something wrong?” Gerty asked, rising from her seat.

  “No, I don’t think so. Can you come here?” Heather hesitated to say Boaz was coming with his children in the room. Given how things were between them and their father, it seemed best to keep his arrival private. She waited until Gerty followed her to the parlor then whispered, “Boaz is here.”

  Gerty gasped in surprise and pressed her hands to her heart. “He is?”

  “Yes. Do you think I should find Mitch?”

  “No. Mitch is out in the field. He could be anywhere. There’s no sense in troubling him, just in case Boaz needs something.” She motioned to the kitchen. “Get him some coffee and take it out to him. Leroy and Hannah just started eating their lunch, so they’ll be fine for a while.”

  Heather nodded and hurried to obey her. While she was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee for him, Leroy stopped eating his sandwich and asked, “Who’s here?”

  She set the coffee pot on the cook stove and studied her nephew and niece. Did she tell them it was their father or lie? She clasped the cup in her hands, quickly weighing the pros and cons of both options. Finally, she said, “I don’t know if I can say, Leroy. I better wait and see what your grandma says, alright?”

  “Alright.”

  As he turned his attention back to the sandwich, she glanced at Hannah who was eating at a slower pace than him. “You both will be good until your grandma or I come back?”

  “Course we will,” Leroy replied.

  “Watch your sister?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Satisfied, she left the kitchen. “Gerty?”

  When she realized Gerty wasn’t in the house, she went to the porch and saw the woman talking to Boaz who was getting down from the horse. Careful to hold the cup firmly so the coffee wouldn’t spill out of it, she made her way down the porch steps and across the lawn. She didn’t recognize the horse, so it couldn’t be his. She wondered who it belonged to but didn’t have long to wait to find the answer.

  “I borrowed it,” Boaz told Gerty as Heather got within hearing distance.

  “But what about your horse?” Gerty asked him.

  Looking down at the ground, he kicked at a rock and shrugged. “I lost it…in a game.”

  “No, Boaz.” She placed her hand on his arm, her tone soft.

  “I’m afraid so, Ma.” He returned his gaze to hers. “I’m sorry. I keep messing up and can’t seem to do anything right.”

  “You came here,” she replied, wiping a tear from her eye. “That’s a step in the right direction.”

  “It is, Boaz,” Heather added. “Would you like some coffee?”

  “I wouldn’t mind a cup.” He accepted it and drank the coffee. When he was done, he handed it back to her. “It was real good. Thank you.”

  “Would you like some more?” she offered, surprised he was that thirsty. “Or we could get you some water.”

  “Why don’t you come in and sit for a bit? Maybe get something to eat?” his mother asked. “Your children are in the kitchen. I’m sure they’d love to see you.”

  “Only if you’re comfortable with it,” Heather added, recalling how awkward it’d been when he came to supper. Looking at Gerty, she said, “We don’t want to push him before he’s ready.”

  “You’re right, Heather.” Gerty patted Boaz’s arm. “We’ll take it one visit at a time.”

  He glanced from his mother to Heather then to the house. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “Alright. I’ll go in and say hi to them.”

  “You will?” Heather asked, surprised.

  “They’re my children. I haven’t been a good father. It’s hard to see them, and the longer I go without seeing them, the harder it gets.”

  “I understand. Maybe we should bring them out here. Then you can say a quick hello and go.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Gerty said. “I can get them.”

  “Alright. I can do that,” he agreed.

  As she hurried toward the house, Heather ran her thumbs along the cup, not sure what she could talk to Boaz about. She didn’t know him very well, though she certainly sympathized with his situation and wanted nothing more than to see him heal from the pain in his past.

  “Mitch is mad at me, isn’t he?” Boaz wondered, his voice hinting that he already knew the answer but had to ask anyway.

  She hesitated to respond but knew it wouldn’t do him any good to avoid the question. “Yes.”

  His shoulders slumped. “I don’t blame him. He’s given me more than enough chances. I wish I wasn’t so weak.”

  “Mitch is trying to do what’s best for you. He wants to help you, Boaz. Really, he does.”

  “I know. He was right not to bail me out. I don’t deserve any of the kindness you, Mitch, or Ma hav
e shown me.”

  “You’re not a bad man,” she assured him, her heart aching by how much he detested himself. “You just need to believe in yourself.”

  He shook his head. “You’re a good lady. I’m glad Mitch married you.” Rubbing the back of his neck with his bandana, he said, “I would like to get something for Leroy and Hannah. Nothing big. I can’t afford much of anything.”

  “Boaz, all you have to do is say hi. You don’t need to get them a gift.”

  “I want to. I was thinking of buying a piece of candy for them. One for Leroy and the other for Hannah.”

  “That’d be sweet. I’m sure they’d like that.”

  “I don’t know when I can come back here. The man I borrowed the horse from isn’t from town. He’s on his way south. Could you get the candy next time you’re in town?”

  She didn’t think Mitch would mind that. “I can do that. Where are you staying?”

  “At the McCarthy Inn. Room 8.”

  “Alright. I’ll come by next time I’m in town.”

  “Do you know when that will be?”

  “Well,” she began, thinking of when Mitch said he planned to go to town again, “I think Mitch wants to go to the post office and mercantile next Monday.”

  “Can you come by then?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks, Heather.”

  Gerty called out to Boaz, so Heather turned and smiled at Leroy and Hannah who came up to them, clinging to Gerty’s skirt with an uncertain look on their faces.

  Boaz offered them a tentative smile. “Hi, Leroy,” he swallowed the lump in his throat, “Hannah.”

  The children stared up at him for a moment before Leroy gave a slight nod. “Hi, Pa.”

  Hannah stepped a little closer to Gerty but kept peering up at her father.

  “They’re doing real good, Boaz,” his mother told him. “Leroy has a good friend, Matthew. He also rode a horse the other day. And Hannah, here is speaking more words every day.” Looking at the girl, she chuckled. “You wouldn’t know it since she’s so quiet right now.”