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

  Reluctant, he pulled out of her and rolled onto his side, bringing her with him. He could definitely get used to holding a woman in his arms. It was nice. Now when he was done with work at the end of the day, he had someone to hold and kiss, someone to get rid of the loneliness he’d felt since Hannah said she couldn’t marry him. After he took over the care of the children, no woman would accept his courtship. But now, being here with Heather, none of that mattered.

  After a few minutes of peaceful silence passed between them, Heather lifted her head so she could look at him. “Do you drink coffee?”

  “Yes. Doesn’t everyone?”

  “No. A couple people I’ve known prefer tea.”

  “Oh. Well, all we know is coffee in this house.”

  With a wry grin, she sat up, her hair gently falling over her shoulders. “I’ll get started on a pot.”

  He considered getting up with her, but the sunlight streaming in through the window allowed him a good view of her as she dressed for the day. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of looking at her. Not only did she have a pretty face, but the rest of her could set any man’s pulse racing with the need to touch her.

  Leaning up on his elbow, he grinned. “When we’re at church, I’ll have to introduce you to a couple of women. Women need to talk to other women so they can assure each other they aren’t the only ones with husbands who have annoying habits.”

  She pulled the dress over her head and turned to him. “You’re joshing.”

  Unable to resist the playful shrug, he said, “Well, when you find out Jack keeps forgetting to take off his boots so he tracks mud through the kitchen, my tendency to crack my knuckles won’t seem too bad.”

  “And what if I find out another woman’s husband’s only annoying trait is that he can’t stop complimenting her?”

  “I suggest you stay away from her. That only makes me look bad.”

  Her lips curled into a smile as she buttoned her dress. “Besides cracking your knuckles, do you have any other annoying traits?”

  “Of course not.” No sense in giving away all of his little habits. He rather liked the idea she might think he was close to perfect, at least for a day or two.

  “I suppose I’ll have to discover them on my own.” She turned to the mirror and brushed her hair with her fingers before pulling it back into a bun.

  “You should use one of my ma’s brushes. She’s got a couple of them. I’ll ask her for one at breakfast. I know she has sewing supplies, but we might be better off going to the mercantile to make sure you have everything you need. Clark doesn’t come by until Monday, so I can’t take you there until then.”

  “Clark?”

  “My ranch hand. He comes out three days a week to help out most of the year.”

  She nodded and headed for the door. “Would you like anything with the coffee?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Recalling that he hadn’t given her a tour of the kitchen, he asked, “Do you want me to show you where everything is in the kitchen?”

  “No. I saw the coffee pot and coffee beans when I got some water.”

  She did? He was surprised she was so observant, but that was a good thing. His mother had a tendency to forget things once in a while, so Heather could help her.

  After she left, he looked out the window and sighed. This wasn’t the first time he’d been exhausted in the morning, but it was the first time he had a reason to want to stay indoors. He wanted to know more about the woman he just married. He had a feeling that he lucked out, probably more than most men.

  He got out of bed and stretched. Another look out the window showed him the cows grazing in the pasture. The clear sky with its pinks and blues promised a beautiful day. The temperature would be just right, too. His gaze went to the barn, and with it came the reminder that he needed to tend to the animals in there.

  He turned to pull the blanket over the bed when he saw something unfamiliar on the sheets. Leaning forward to inspect it, he realized it was dried blood. He glanced down at his body and didn’t see any of it on himself. So that meant…

  Frowning, he thought of Heather. It had to be her blood. There wasn’t much of it, but it bothered him that it was there at all. Why didn’t she say something? When he watched her get dressed, there weren’t any cuts on her. He winced. He didn’t like the implication of the blood resulting from him making love to her. If she bled, then it meant he’d hurt her, didn’t it?

  Sitting back on the bed, he tried to remember her reaction to him the two times they’d been intimate. He didn’t recall her saying or doing anything to express pain, but he’d been too wrapped up in how good she felt to really notice anything else. How could he not know she was in pain? He knew he sometimes missed the subtle things women did, but he’d like to think he wouldn’t be so daft that he couldn’t figure out if the woman he was making love to wasn’t enjoying it.

  What should he do now? Should he come right out and ask her how much he hurt her? Did he ask how he could avoid hurting her again? Or would that only show her how little he knew about the whole thing, and would she have contempt for him because of it? Maybe she already had contempt for him. No, that didn’t make sense. She’d been joking with him before she left to make coffee.

  At least at this point, she wasn’t upset with him, so maybe he was better off not coming right out and saying anything. Yes, that would be the safest thing to do. Just keep quiet and try to make sure he didn’t hurt her again. Decision made, he got up to get ready for the day.

  Chapter Five

  Heather tried not to think of the day looming before her and all the changes she’d just brought into her life. It seemed to her that the previous night was the easy part. The real work—being a mother and helping her mother-in-law—was ahead of her. At the moment, however, everything was quiet, and she was grateful she’d gotten up when Mitch did. It gave her time to prepare for her new role.

  After she visited the privy and washed her hands, she went to the kitchen to start the coffee. She also took a look around the kitchen and saw that it was well stocked. She should be able to make some good meals. Thankfully, Mitch didn’t seem like a hard man to please. Not that she thought he would be, but it was nice to talk to him that morning and discover he could joke around. It was good that he didn’t let his first wife’s death make him bitter.

  She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and her heart raced in anticipation. Granted, she’d just met Mitch the night before, but she looked forward to seeing him all the same. She hurried to pour the coffee into two cups. She expected him to come to the kitchen since he’d said he wanted some coffee, but he headed down the hallway leading to the front door.

  Surprised, she took his cup and followed him. “Mitch?” she called out in a voice low enough so she wouldn’t wake anyone else in the house.

  He jerked and spun around.

  Laughing, she walked over to him and held the cup out to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  She couldn’t be sure but she sensed uncertainty in his smile as he took the cup from her. “It’s silly, isn’t it? Acting like I was spooked or something.”

  “I figure you’re not used to someone being up this early. It’ll take time for you to adjust to me, but I’ll do what I can to make the transition easier.”

  He cleared his throat and looked at his cup. “It’s not a matter of me adjusting to you but you getting used to me. Are you alright?”

  “Yes. I’m not tired at all. It must be because of the excitement.”

  “No. I mean, do you feel alright?”

  Not understanding where he was going with this, she nodded. “I said I was.”

  He sighed. “I meant your body. You’re not sore or in pain or anything, are you?”

  “Oh!” He was referring to her physical wellbeing. She shrugged. “I’m a little stiff from the long horse ride, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m sure it’ll be gone tomorrow.”

  He looked as if he wanted to say mor
e but finally drank the coffee and handed her the empty cup. “I better get the morning chores out of the way.”

  Sensing something wasn’t right, she held the cup and tapped the edge of it with her fingers. “You don’t regret marrying me, do you?”

  “No, of course not.” After an awkward moment of silence, he asked, “Do you regret marrying me?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He opened his mouth and then shut it.

  Debating if she should press the issue since it was obvious something was bothering him, she glanced out the window.

  “My mother gets up in an hour and wakes up Leroy and Hannah. I’ll be back to tell her everything.”

  Maybe that was it. Their marriage was rushed, and he hadn’t known her before he walked into the saloon. Telling his mother the details was probably worrying him. Maybe she wouldn’t be happy. “Will you assure her that I want to do everything I can to help her?”

  “She’ll be glad for the help.” He turned and opened the door. Offering her a smile, he added, “I’ll be back soon.”

  She returned his smile as he closed the door behind him. Yes, that was all he’d been worried about. He wasn’t regretting their marriage. Feeling much better, she returned to the kitchen.

  She spent the next hour getting familiar with the house, at least the areas where no one was sleeping. When she was done, she went back to the kitchen and found enough ingredients to make tea punch. Surely, the children would enjoy that later on in the day.

  Just as she finished making it, a stirring from the other room caught her attention. Considering the noise was downstairs, it had to be Gerty. She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and peered out the window, noting that Mitch was still in the barn. She glanced at the clock and saw it’d been an hour and five minutes. Well, even if he wasn’t back, there was no reason why she couldn’t introduce herself to Gerty.

  She left the kitchen and headed down the hall, slowing her steps as she neared the closed bedroom door. It wouldn’t be good to scare the poor woman by standing in the doorway when she opened it. Her heartbeat picked up as she listened to the woman’s footsteps shuffle across the floorboards. She couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like Gerty had a slight limp.

  The door opened, and she smiled as her mother-in-law came into view. “Good morning,” she called out. “I’m Heather. Mitch married me last night.”

  The woman chuckled. “I remember you, dear, though it’s a shame that it was so late.”

  Just as Heather began to speak, the front door opened. They turned their attention to Mitch who was wiping his hands on a towel.

  When he saw them, he glanced from one to the other. “I didn’t mean to stay out there so long,” he finally told Heather.

  “It’s fine, Mitch,” Heather said. “I was about to tell her how we got married.”

  Gerty motioned them toward the kitchen. “We can talk over some coffee. No sense in hovering about in the hallway.”

  Heather nodded and followed them to the kitchen, eager to get to know the woman despite her apprehension. She hoped Gerty would like her and not think she was trying to take over the house. She wanted to work with her and make her life easier. That way she and Mitch wouldn’t regret having her with them in the house.

  Heather sat next to Mitch at the rectangular table while Gerty poured them coffee. She glanced at him, and when her eyes met his, she sensed his unease. For a moment, she debated whether or not she should send a silent reassuring message to him. Would he like it if she was bold enough to touch him? While it was true they’d been as physically close as possible a short time ago, they weren’t alone now. Deciding to hedge her bets, she reached for his hand under the table and held it.

  He gave her a tentative smile. She returned his smile and squeezed his hand. In response, he relaxed some more. Relieved, she accepted the cup from Gerty and figured he could do the talking.

  “We don’t got much time before the children are up,” Gerty said as she sat across from them.

  “I know.” Mitch cleared his throat. “When I went to the saloon last night, Boaz was gambling at one of the tables, and this time, he was betting his horse.”

  Gerty sighed and Heather’s heart ached at the look of sorrow that passed the woman’s face. It couldn’t be easy to hear about one’s child hitting such a low point. She wished she could say or do something to help her feel better, but she had no idea what she might do.

  Mitch let go of Heather’s hand and picked up his cup. “Heather was at the same table. Her brother was betting her.”

  Gerty’s eyes widened and she looked in her daughter-in-law’s direction. Heather lowered her gaze, unable to maintain eye contact considering the shame of her circumstances.

  “John Meyer was at the table, too,” Mitch continued.

  Gerty’s attention returned to him and she gasped. “Boaz is alright, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, he’s fine. But he almost wasn’t. You know how John is. He doesn’t cheat,” his gaze went to Heather, “but he doesn’t take mercy on the loser either.”

  It took Heather a moment to realize he said the last part to her. She inwardly shivered at the implication in his statement. She’d gotten that feeling with John as he scanned her up and down the night before, but it was still sickening to learn how right she was about the man.

  “Anyway,” he took a sip of coffee, “I had to play some poker, but I got Boaz and Heather out of there safely. Boaz went home with his horse, and Heather…” He shrugged. “Well, she had nowhere to go, and you know how it’s been with me trying to find a wife.”

  Gerty nodded.

  “She and I went to Preacher Higgins, and he married us. I don’t think there’s much else to tell, really,” he finished.

  Heather cleared her throat. “Mitch was very kind to marry me, Gerty. My brother was supposed to pay for my train ticket so I could go to our aunt’s back East, but he lost the money in the game. I’m very thankful to be here, and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  “You’ve got nothing to worry about,” she told her with a wave of her hand. “I’m glad Mitch finally got himself a wife. It hasn’t been easy for him since Boaz’s wife died and he took over caring for his children.”

  Heather’s eyebrows furrowed. “Caring for Boaz’s children?”

  “You can’t fault Boaz. He took his wife’s death hard. She died giving birth to Hannah. In fact, he named Hannah after her. He tried to hold on, but even with my help, he couldn’t cope. That’s why Leroy and Hannah are with us.”

  “The children are your niece and nephew,” Heather said, turning her attention to Mitch.

  “Didn’t I tell you that?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “I’m sorry. I thought I did. In all the excitement, it must’ve slipped my mind.”

  Now it made sense, and it only served to make her appreciate her new husband that much more. A good man took care of his mother and his brother’s children. Yes, she’d done very well in marrying him.

  “So you were never married?” she asked.

  “No,” he softly replied.

  “Foolish women around here. They didn’t want to take care of children that weren’t their own,” Gerty added with a shake of her head.

  He lifted the cup to his lips. “It’s alright, Ma.”

  Gerty stood up. “Speaking of the children, I need to get them up.”

  “I should help,” Heather said as she rose to her feet.

  “Tomorrow morning, my dear.” Gerty smiled and patted her hand. “I think it’s best if they get to know you first.”

  “Oh, alright. Then I can start breakfast. What do they eat?”

  “Just about anything. Pancakes, eggs, biscuits, oatmeal. You decide.”

  Heather nodded and waited for Gerty to leave the kitchen. “What would you like, Mitch?”

  He took a drink from his cup and set it down. “I’ll eat whatever you make.”

  She sighed. So it was up to her? “Alright
. Pancakes?”

  “That sounds great.”

  “It won’t take long.” As she hurried to grab the ingredients, she could feel the weight of his stare on her. Surprised, she looked over her shoulder as she placed a large bowl on the worktable. “Is something wrong?”

  His face turned red. “No. I was just thinking that you’re pretty.”

  Pleased, she smiled and turned her attention back to preparing breakfast. She could still feel him watching her, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she rather preferred it since he was thinking of her in such a flattering light.

  Upstairs, she could hear the children as Gerty got them ready. As she mixed the batter, she glanced his way again, noting that he had a slight smile on his lips as he watched her. Clearing her throat, she said, “I hope Leroy and Hannah like me.”

  “Of course, they will.”

  “You sound more confident than I am.”

  He gave a slight shrug and looked at his cup. “What’s not to like?”

  Happy he was pleased with her, she poured out some batter into the pan. “How many pancakes do you want?”

  “Four.”

  She picked up the spatula and waited until the pancakes were ready to be flipped over before she slid it under them to do so. The sound of little feet coming down the steps directed her attention to the doorway as she waited to meet the children. A boy and a girl rushed into the kitchen and stopped when they saw her.

  Mitch chuckled. “Didn’t your grandma tell you that you got an aunt now?”

  The girl shook her head while the boy nodded.

  Amused, she grinned. “Who is Leroy and who is Hannah?”

  The boy pointed to himself. “Lewoy.” He motioned to his sister. “Hannah.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” Heather replied.

  “Sit down and get ready to eat,” Mitch told them.

  “Yes, sir,” the boy said and climbed into his chair while Mitch helped the girl into a highchair.

  “I hope you like pancakes,” she told the children as she gathered the plates and set them out on the table in front of them.

  The children stared at her, their eyes wide as they studied her.