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

  “She’s just nervous,” Heather said, smiling encouragingly at Hannah then at Leroy. “Your pa is a good man, and he very much wanted to see you.”

  Leroy returned his gaze to Boaz.

  “He has to go back to town,” Heather continued, picking up on the unease between Boaz and his children. “But he’ll be coming out again, and maybe at that time, he’d like to join us for supper?” She turned to him.

  He took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, I’ll come out for supper.”

  Gerty let out a gasp of surprise and clasped her hands. “Oh, thank you, Boaz! You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

  “It’s wonderful,” Heather agreed. “What’s your favorite pie, Boaz?”

  He wrapped the bandana around his hand and shifted from one foot to the other. “Any kind is good. I’m not picky.”

  “He never was,” Gerty added. “Put anything in front of him, and he’ll eat it. It’s a good trait if a man is easy on the cook.”

  “We’ll make you something special,” Heather told him. “We’ll make arrangements for you to come to supper when I see you in town. Mitch and I can pick you up if you can’t borrow a horse.”

  “Alright.” He glanced at his hands where he was still fiddling with the bandana and chuckled. “I should be wearing this around my neck instead of fooling with it.”

  “There’s no law against holding a bandana,” Gerty replied.

  With another glance at his children, Boaz put it around his neck. “I’ll see you again. I promise.”

  Heather gave Gerty a smile as he went to the horse and hopped on it.

  “I think he’ll do it this time,” Gerty whispered, hugging Leroy and Hannah. “You got a good pa. He’s been through a lot, but the good Lord has seen him through it. Now, go on and play on the porch.” While the children obeyed, she turned to Heather. “Mitch was right. All Boaz needed was to face the consequences of his decisions on his own.”

  “Mitch will be glad to hear Boaz was here and is doing better.”

  “He will. He felt so guilty for not going to town to help him, and now he doesn’t have to.”

  Gerty placed her arm around Heather’s shoulders and wiped the tears from her eyes. “What a wonderful surprise.”

  “It is,” Heather replied as she watched Boaz ride off the property.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I don’t know,” Mitch said as he pulled the wagon up to the mercantile. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to see Boaz?”

  “I’m only getting two pieces of candy,” Heather replied, grabbing her purse.

  He set the brake then turned to her. “Why can’t he bring candy out to our place?”

  “Because he doesn’t have his own horse anymore and he doesn’t know when he can borrow a horse.”

  “But you’re going to invite him for supper. You said he promised he’d come out as long as we picked him up. Why can’t he give the candy to his children then?”

  She couldn’t deny he made a good point. “Yes, you’re right, Mitch, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could go home with the candy today?” When he sighed in exasperation, she placed her hand over his. “I know it’s not much, and I know it doesn’t mean he’ll actually come by for supper. But this is a small thing he’s asking, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this. Why couldn’t he meet us here at the mercantile? Why does it have to be at the inn?”

  “Maybe he’s ashamed to go out in public?”

  “Something tells me there’s more to this than he’s telling.”

  “What could it be?”

  “I don’t know. It just doesn’t sound like something Boaz would do. He’s never asked me to pick up candy for his children before.”

  “Maybe that’s because you’re not a woman,” she ventured, thinking there couldn’t be any other reason why he’d make such a request. “Women are more likely to think of giving children a treat than men are.”

  He shook his head. “I doubt it. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to come with you.”

  Her stomach clenched. “Do you think he’d hurt me?”

  “No. Boaz wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

  “So why are you worried about him giving me candy for Leroy and Hannah?”

  “I don’t know, Heather,” he replied. “But I’m going with you. It won’t hurt to be cautious.”

  She couldn’t argue his reasoning. She had expected to go by herself to get the candy, but this was just as well. Maybe it was even what he needed. “Mitch,” she touched his shoulder as he turned to get down from the wagon, “will you give Boaz another chance? I don’t mean that you have to help him. I just want you to talk to him without assuming he’s not going to change.”

  Though he didn’t seem to like her request, he nodded. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

  She smiled in appreciation and let go of his shoulder. After he got down from the wagon, he walked over to her and helped her down. She held his hands for a couple moments and squeezed them. There was so much she wanted to say, about how good he’d been to his brother and how much she appreciated everything he’d done for her, but she wasn’t sure how to express everything in her heart. So she settled for kissing his cheek. He smiled and kissed her hands, a silent indication that he understood what she was trying to convey.

  “We’ll pick up the candy after we get what we need from the mercantile,” he said.

  He took her by the arm and led her into the store where they bought the things they needed. When they were done, he drove her to the McCarthy Inn.

  As he pulled the wagon to a stop, he asked, “What room is he in?”

  “Eight.”

  “Alright.” He set the brake and got out of the wagon. After he helped her down, he reached under the seat.

  Curious, she peered around him. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting this.” He pulled out a Colt .45 and checked it for bullets.

  “Oh, Mitch, he’s your brother!”

  “It’s not for him.”

  “Then who’s it for?”

  “I don’t know yet.” Closing the chamber shut, he turned to her. He took a step toward the inn and paused when he noticed she didn’t follow him. “Heather?”

  “I can’t go there with you holding a gun. What is Boaz going to think when he sees that?”

  “What he thinks isn’t my concern. There’s something wrong with this whole thing. I’m not taking any chances.”

  “Could you at least conceal it?” What would Boaz think if his brother greeted him with a gun? They were trying to help him build a relationship with his children, not scare him.

  He rolled his eyes but placed the gun in his pocket. “Better?”

  “Much.” At least now it wouldn’t look like Mitch came to shoot him. Clutching her purse with both hands, she prayed this wouldn’t be a disaster. All they had to do was pick up some candy. Then they could return home. “Alright, let’s go.”

  Together, they headed for room eight. She glanced at Mitch’s pocket and hoped Boaz wouldn’t notice the gun. Or maybe if he did notice it, he wouldn’t think anything of it. She tried to recall any men she’d seen with guns in their pockets, but none came to mind. When they reached the room, Mitch knocked on the door. As Mitch’s hand settled on the gun, she shot him a ‘don’t pull it out of your pocket’ look, but he kept his gaze on the door.

  The door opened, and after a moment’s hesitation, Boaz smiled at them. “Hi, Heather, Mitch.”

  “Hi, Boaz,” she replied. “Mitch wanted to come and see how you’re doing.”

  “It’s good to see you,” he told Mitch.

  Mitch examined the small room. “What’s going on, Boaz?”

  “Oh, I asked Heather if she’d stop by and pick up the candy I bought for Leroy and Hannah.”

  He turned to retrieve the items off the dresser when someone came up behind Mitch and struck him across the back of the head. Before Heather had time to scream, the attacker put his hand over
her mouth and pushed her into the room.

  “Get Mitch and bring him in,” the attacker growled.

  Heather recognized Abe’s voice, and her heart raced in a mixture of fear and dread. What was he going to do?

  “What are you doing?” Boaz demanded, looking between her and Mitch. “You said you only wanted to apologize to her.”

  “Get him in!” Holding her against his side with one arm, Abe lifted a gun and motioned to Mitch. “You get him in here or I’ll shoot you.”

  She tried to pull Abe’s hand off of her mouth, but his grip only tightened.

  Abe cocked the gun. “Now!”

  Boaz jerked and ran over to Mitch. Once he had him pulled safely into the room, Abe kicked the door shut. Heather elbowed Abe in the gut, but he kept his hold on her.

  “Do that again and I shoot your husband,” Abe warned, his voice gruff in her ear.

  Tears formed in her eyes, but she remained still so she wouldn’t aggravate her brother.

  Boaz leaned over Mitch and checked his pulse. Looking up at Abe, he asked, “Why are you doing this?”

  “I’m doing what I have to. Now tie him up,” Abe ordered and backed up, dragging Heather with him. “Tie him to this chair.”

  “But—”

  “You weren’t supposed to bring him here. I only wanted Heather.”

  Boaz’s frantic gaze went to her then back to Abe. “Mitch wasn’t there when I asked her to come here.” He shook his head. “You lied to me. You weren’t going to tell her you’re sorry!”

  “Hmm,” Abe replied, sarcasm thick in his voice. “A dishonest man telling a lie. Imagine that.” He kicked an unconscious Mitch in the side until he rolled over. “Now, tie him up or I’m going to put a hole in his head.”

  Heather tried to yell at her brother to stop hurting her husband, but his hand remained firm over her mouth. She didn’t know if she should try to get away from Abe or not. She knew he intended to take her out of town and use her as a pawn at the poker games. As much as it sickened her to go with him, did she dare risk angering him? If he was willing to knock her husband unconscious and kick him, he might kill him, too. She blinked her eyes and tears slid down her cheeks.

  Abe kicked Mitch again, this time using more force than before.

  “Fine, I’ll do it!” Boaz quickly put his hands under his brother’s arms and pulled him up until he was on the chair. “I don’t have any rope.”

  Abe groaned. “Do I have to do everything?” He lowered his gun and shook something off his arm which landed on the floor with a loud thud. “There. Take some of my rope.” He pointed it at Mitch’s temple. “Do it!”

  Boaz worked in silence, and all Heather could do was watch in mounting dread as her husband was bound to the chair. She kept thinking she should be able to do something to stop this horrible thing from happening. But what?

  To her surprise, Boaz whirled around with Mitch’s gun in his hand and pointed it at Abe. She whimpered and tried to squirm out of Abe’s arms. If she could get away from him, Boaz could shoot him! She stomped on her brother’s foot, and he let her go. A shot rang in the air as she fell to the floor. Did Boaz get him? She rolled over so she could see what happened and cried out in horror when she saw that Abe had been the one who shot Boaz who was clutching his wounded arm. The gun fell from Boaz’s hand, and Abe caught it before it hit the floor.

  Abe pointed one gun at her and another at Boaz. “A dog’s smarter than you,” he muttered to Boaz then strode over to Heather. “You get up right now or I’m going to make you a widow and kill that stupid brother-in-law of yours.”

  Despite her tears, she managed to get to her feet. She wiped her eyes, but more tears came, blurring her vision.

  “Get in that corner,” Abe barked, gesturing to the corner furthest from the doorway.

  Stumbling over the edge of the night table, she made it to the corner and wrapped her arms around herself. She wished she had the courage to do something other than stand there and cry while her brother tied Boaz in a chair.

  “You don’t have to do this, Abe,” Boaz pleaded, wincing as blood dribbled down his arm. “It’s not too late to do the right thing.”

  Abe pushed Boaz’s chair to the back of Mitch’s and tied the chairs together. Then he shoved a handkerchief in Boaz’s mouth. “I am doing the right thing. I’ll return Heather when I’m done with her, but until then, I need her.” He went to the window and pushed aside the small curtain. With a nod, he set the curtain back in place and approached Heather. Though she cowered from him, he grabbed her by the arm. “Say one word to anyone, and you’ll regret it. Understand?”

  Mitch groaned and turned his head to the side. Abe stormed over to him and whacked him across the head with the butt of his gun, successfully knocking him unconscious again. Heather let out a scream, and he slapped his hand over her mouth.

  “Not a single word,” he hissed.

  She caught sight of blood trickling down the side of Mitch’s face and tried to scream again but his hand muffled her efforts to get help.

  “He’s not dead,” Abe growled. “He won’t die either. I just need a head start, that’s all. As I told Boaz, I’ll send you back here.”

  There was no way she could believe him. If she learned nothing else from being with her brother, it was how untrustworthy he was.

  “Now, stop crying and be quiet.” He removed his hand from her mouth. “Think you can handle that?”

  She used the sleeve of her dress to wipe the tears from her eyes then glared at him. “I hate you.”

  “Aw, Heather. Is that any way to talk to your own flesh and blood?”

  Before she could respond, he urged her to the door. She looked over her shoulder. Mitch’s head was bowed and his shoulders slumped, indicating he was still unconscious. Boaz was struggling to free himself of the ropes while trying to spit the handkerchief out of his mouth.

  “He’s going to the Yukon to get gold,” she quickly told Boaz, hoping it was enough for him and Mitch to find her. They’d search for her, and there could only be so many towns on the way to Canada.

  “Hush!” Abe opened the door and shoved her outside.

  She stumbled but managed to regain her balance. A couple of people looked in her direction, and she considered running to them for help when she felt the sharp stab of a pistol in her back. Abe pressed it deeper, and she turned her gaze away from them.

  She got his warning. Though she wasn’t sure if he’d shoot her or not, she wasn’t about to take her chances. Mitch and Boaz would come for her. She’d have to take comfort in that. Releasing a shaky breath, she let Abe take her to his horse, hoping it wouldn’t be long before Mitch woke up.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Mitch? Mitch? Please wake up.”

  Mitch groaned. Something wet and sticky left a trail down the side of his face and neck, but it was the shooting pain in his temple that made him wince.

  “Mitch?”

  Mitch grunted as his body was shaken. He tried to move to stop the person who was bothering him, but ropes bound his arms and legs to a wooden chair.

  “Mitch? Are you awake yet?”

  This time when he was shaken, he realized the person was shaking the chair, not him directly. “Stop it,” he snapped and groaned again when the sharp pain in his temple increased.

  “Sorry.”

  The chair went still, much to his relief. It took him a moment to remember where he was. He opened his eyes, his vision a bit blurry. After blinking a few times, the images around him cleared and he could focus. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Boaz was in a chair behind him and that their chairs had been tied together.

  “What happened?” he asked Boaz as he tried to work his arms and legs loose from the ropes.

  “Mitch, I’m so sorry,” Boaz said, tears in his voice. “If I had known, I never would have asked Heather to come here.”

  At that, Mitch stiffened. Heather! He’d come here with her. He searched the small room for her. “Where is sh
e?”

  “He took her.”

  “He? Who?”

  “Her brother. I thought he wanted to apologize to her. I had no idea he was going to take her.”

  “Take her where?” Mitch yelled, struggling harder to free himself from the ropes.

  “Canada. The Yukon. She said he’s going to get some gold.”

  Mitch uttered a curse word that he never thought he’d say and strained all of his limbs against the ropes with as much force as he could muster.

  “My arm! Mitch, you’re making my arm worse,” Boaz cried out. “He shot me in the arm.”

  Growing still, Mitch scanned the room for something—anything—they might use to get out of the ropes. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing they could use. He swore again and stomped the floor. How he could have been so stupid? He had expected an attack from the front. He should have known one might come from behind instead. Abe had been lying in wait the whole time. Why didn’t he see it coming?

  “I can’t believe I was that stupid,” he muttered.

  “I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Boaz agreed. “I should have known there was a reason he insisted I ask Heather to come here instead of meeting me at the mercantile.”

  Finally focusing on what his brother was saying, Mitch asked, “What did you say?”

  “I’ve made such a mess of everything,” he replied, the tears coming back in his voice. “Ever since I let Hannah die, I can’t do anything right.”

  “You didn’t let Hannah die. Her body just couldn’t handle the strain of childbirth. There was nothing you could’ve done to change that. No one blames you for her death.”

  “But I just sat there and watched it happen. All I could do was hold her while she bled to death.”

  “And what could you have done? You couldn’t stop her from bleeding. Boaz, you can’t spend the rest of your life going over that day. Hannah loved you, and you loved her. Do you think she’d want you trapped in guilt for something you had no control over?” Mitch let out a long sigh. “She wasn’t that way, Boaz. You have to let the past go. If you truly want to honor her memory, you have to forgive yourself and move on.”