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

“No, but we should probably go upstairs anyway.”

  “You’re right. The water’s getting cool.”

  She washed his legs and feet before retrieving a towel for him to dry himself off. When he was done, he slipped into his pants and threw out the bath water. Together, they went to their bedroom where they took their time making love. She wasn’t as shy as she’d been the night before. In fact, it seemed to him that she didn’t mind taking the lead, and at one point, she rolled him onto his back and took him into the warmth of her body.

  In the moonlight, he watched her as she rocked her hips, her breasts bouncing nicely and her expression revealing her pleasure. It assured him that he wasn’t hurting her. He found it also heightened his arousal to know she could be in bed with him with as much enthusiasm as he felt in being with her.

  He worked with her, noting she was coming close to her climax, something he couldn’t remember her experiencing the night before, something he wanted to give her now. He watched her as she peaked, loving the way she looked as she did so. Her body clenched around his erection, and he moaned his appreciation and thrust deeper inside her, an action that earned him a pleasurable groan from her lips. Setting his hands on her hips, he moved his hips and established a rhythm that resulted in his release.

  Afterwards, she remained in his arms, and they spent a good five minutes kissing. Not too long after that, they made love again before they finally settled into a sound sleep, both content. His heart rejoiced that he finally had someone in his life who completed him.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning after breakfast, Heather helped her mother-in-law get the children ready for church.

  Leroy fidgeted with his tie and grimaced. “I’m choking.”

  Heather frowned and checked to see if she’d made the tie too tight around his neck. “I tried to make it loose.”

  Gerty shook her head and chuckled. “Don’t you let him fool you. He’s fine. Every Sunday, he says the same thing.” Shooting him a reprimanding look, she added, “Stop fussing, Leroy. That tie is staying on until we leave church.”

  He rolled his eyes but left the tie alone.

  Gerty gave her a knowing grin. “You’ll learn when the children are pulling your leg.”

  Heather figured she was right. She glanced at Hannah who was sitting quietly on the rocker in the parlor with her hands folded in her lap, which was a drastic change from how she’d been the day before. Yesterday, she ran around the house and got into everything she could reach. “Why is she being so good?” she asked Gerty.

  “She doesn’t want to mess her pretty dress.” She smiled. “She looks just like her mother.”

  Heather turned her attention back to the little girl with her wavy golden hair pulled back with a ribbon and her wide green eyes. “Her mother was a beautiful woman.”

  “She was. Kind, too. Course, you’re both things as well.”

  Her cheeks warmed at the woman’s compliment. “Thank you, Gerty.”

  The front door opened, and Mitch smiled at them. “The buckboard’s ready. And yes, Ma, the food you and Heather prepared is secure.” Glancing at Heather, he added, “Ever since I wasn’t careful putting one of her pies in the back and it ended up splattered all over the place, I have to assure her the food’s alright.”

  “Well, you can’t be too careful,” Gerty said with a grin. “Come along, children.”

  Leroy bolted out the door, yelling something about how he couldn’t wait to tell Matthew he got an aunt. Heather watched in amusement as Hannah smoothed her dress and held her hand out to Gerty who took it and led her out the front door.

  Heather adjusted the ribbon on the hat Gerty let her wear. Unfortunately, she had to make due with the same dress she’d been wearing when she met Mitch, but Gerty promised her they’d get started on a dress suitable for a church. She glanced at the white gloves Gerty let her borrow and sighed. While the hat and gloves were fitting, her dress and boots were sorely lacking.

  “What’s wrong?” Mitch asked, coming over to her.

  Her focus went off of her clothes and to his appearance. He looked good in a nice dark suit with his matching hat. “You’re handsome.”

  He laughed and gave her a kiss. “And that’s wrong?”

  “No. That isn’t what’s wrong.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “My dress doesn’t match the nice gloves and hat your mother lent me.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Is that all?”

  “The important thing is your heart’s in the right place.” He kissed her again, this time pulling her into his arms and making her forget about everything but how wonderful he was. When he ended the kiss, he continued to hold her and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You’ll be fine.”

  When he pulled away from her, she immediately missed being in his arms, but he slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the door. “I’m glad you won that poker game, Mitch,” she softly confessed, unable to look at him.

  “I am, too. I had no idea going in that it would be my lucky night.” They stepped onto the porch and he shut the door behind them. Leading her down the porch steps, he gave her a wink. “Remember that I’m perfect and you can’t believe anyone who says otherwise.”

  She giggled and nudged him playfully in the side. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

  They reached the buckboard, and he released her so he could help his mother and the children into the wagon before he turned to help her. He hopped in next to her, released the brake and urged the horses forward. While he sat on her left, Hannah, Leroy and Gerty sat to her right. She sighed in contentment and leaned against him while putting her arm around Hannah’s shoulders to steady her.

  She couldn’t have asked for a better day. The breeze was cool but the sun warmed things up. The ride to church was a pleasant one, and she noticed that even though Leroy grimaced and touched his tie a few times, he managed to refrain from trying to pull it off. She gently squeezed his arms and smiled her encouragement since he was being good.

  When they arrived at the small church, Mitch parked the wagon and helped everyone out, and Heather helped Gerty gather the food and brought it to the part of the lawn that had two large tables set out. Heather hadn’t enjoyed a potluck before a service before, but then she couldn’t remember being at church more than a couple of times in her life and she was too young to remember if she ate before the service.

  When they reached a group of women who were setting out dishes and food on the wooden table, Gerty clucked her tongue. “Why, Patty, I see you couldn’t resist making the muffins.”

  The young brunette, who Heather guessed was close to her age, turned from the plate she set down. Her cheeks turned pink. “I can’t help it. Greg loves muffins.”

  Gerty chuckled and put her pie down. “Someday he might notice you.”

  Heather followed Patty’s gaze to the young man who was talking to Mitch and a couple of older men.

  Patty sighed. “I hope so, Gerty.”

  “You never know. Mitch gave up on finding a wife, and I’d be lying if he didn’t knock me over with a feather when he brought Heather home Friday night and told me he had a wife.” Gerty patted her arm. “Miracles still happen.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears.” Looking at Heather, Patty added, “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” Heather replied.

  A woman who seemed to be in her early thirties came over to them and smiled. “Well, who do we have here?”

  “This is my daughter-in-law, Heather,” Gerty answered as she took the plate of rolls from Heather’s hands.

  “Oh, I could have put that down,” Heather said, embarrassed she hadn’t done it sooner.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Gerty assured her. “Heather, this is Evelyn, but we call her Eve for short.”

  Heather nodded a greeting, aware that a couple of other women came over to them, probably curious about her.

  “It’s a pleasure
to meet you, Heather.” Eve smiled and hugged her. “It’s about time Mitch got married. But I don’t recall seeing you in Lewistown before.”

  “Oh, no.” Heather glanced at the curious women. “I used to live in Bozeman.”

  “So how did you end up here?”

  Heather wasn’t sure that telling anyone besides Gerty was a good idea. She glanced at the preacher who’d married her and Mitch and wondered if he told anyone the circumstances that led her and Mitch showing up at his door Friday night. She then turned her gaze to Mitch and wondered if he told anyone how he met her. Releasing her breath, she decided she’d have to tell Eve the truth, even if Eve didn’t like what she’d hear. The truth, after all, might have a way of coming out anyway.

  She opened her mouth to tell Eve the whole story when Gerty spoke up on her behalf. “It was fate, I tell you. The children needed a mother, and I’m not getting any younger. You know how my body hurts from time to time.”

  Eve nodded.

  Gerty picked Hannah up and motioned for Leroy to play with the other children before she turned back to Eve. “Well, Mitch happened to meet her while helping his brother, and he married her.”

  Patty leaned forward and asked Heather, “You mean, you didn’t even know Mitch?”

  “No.” Heather cleared her throat. “It was sudden.”

  “And sometimes things work out like that,” Gerty added. “Her parents are no longer with us, and her brother wasn’t the reliable sort so Mitch figured she’d do well to be a mother to the children and a help to me.”

  Patty sighed wistfully. “It sounds romantic.”

  Eve chuckled. “Patty, dear, your head is always in the clouds. It sounds like Mitch and Heather made a very sensible arrangement. She needed a home and he certainly can use the help at the ranch. I’m sure she’s a godsend to Gerty as well.”

  “Very much so,” Gerty replied, smiling at Heather.

  Heather appreciated the woman’s kind words.

  “But you came from Bozeman?” Eve asked.

  Directing her attention back to Eve, Heather nodded. “My brother brought me here.”

  “Really?”

  Heather sensed that Eve was about to ask more when the preacher’s wife came over to them. “I see you met Mitch’s wife,” she said in a cheerful tone.

  “Yes,” Eve replied. “We were just getting acquainted with her.”

  “Good.” The preacher’s wife patted Heather on the arm. “You’re among friends here. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Glancing at the other women, she added, “The men are getting restless, so I think we should get ready to eat.”

  The women dispersed and finished getting everything ready. Heather was secretly relieved. The less the women knew about her meeting Mitch, the better. She didn’t exactly relish the idea of telling anyone that her brother was willing to sell her in a poker game. Just recalling the way her brother had so thoughtlessly treated her was enough to make her angry and ashamed all over again.

  “Will you eat with me and my pa?” Patty asked Heather and Gerty as they gathered enough food on their plates for themselves and the children. “We got plenty of room.”

  “We’d be delighted,” Gerty replied. “Mitch!”

  From further down the other side of the table, Mitch looked up from where he was grabbing his portion of a roast.

  “We’ll be joining the Dixons today,” she told him.

  He nodded to indicate he understood, and Gerty and Heather carried their plates to the blanket. Gerty told her to get comfortable before she returned to get them something to drink. Heather started to protest since she wasn’t sure Gerty should be doing so much, but Gerty was already heading back to the table.

  Patty laughed as she settled next to Heather. “She must be feeling good today.”

  As Heather helped Hannah sit down without messing up her dress, she glanced at Gerty who laughed as one of the older women talked to her. “Mitch said she has days where she’s in pain.”

  “Yes, she does.” Patty placed her plate down and adjusted Leroy’s tie so he was happier with it.

  “I wish I knew how to do that,” Heather commented wryly. “I tried to get his tie right, but it didn’t work.”

  “It comes naturally to me. I help Pa with his all the time.”

  Once Hannah was happy, Heather sat back. “Is it just you and your pa?”

  “Yes. My ma went to be with the Lord a year ago.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m more fortunate than you, Heather. At least I still got my pa.”

  “But I’m very fortunate, too. Mitch happened to be at the right place at the right time, and I have a real good life here.”

  “Mitch is a wonderful man,” Patty agreed, “and I know he was wanting to marry, which was good after Hannah married his brother instead of him.”

  “He wanted to marry Hannah?” Heather’s gaze went to the little girl and thought of her mother who had died giving birth to her.

  “Yes. For a few months, Hannah had a terrible time deciding which brother she wanted more, but then she said one day she woke up and she just knew it was going to be Boaz. It was a hard choice. Both of them were good men.”

  “Mitch didn’t pine for her, did he?”

  “He did for a year, but then he started looking for other women to marry.”

  “Did he try to court you?”

  Patty blushed but shook her head. “I’m afraid everyone knows I want to marry Greg Wilson. Mitch knew, too, and never asked, which is good because I would have told him no. It wouldn’t be fair to him because I didn’t love him. But he did ask to court Ellie over there.”

  Heather turned her attention to the tall blonde who was juggling twin babies in her arms on another blanket full of other people.

  “There were a couple of others who live in town, but no one was interested,” Patty added.

  Heather didn’t need to ask why they weren’t interested. Mitch and Gerty had already told her that none of the women wanted to take care of someone else’s children. “Well, maybe I should thank them for saving him for me. He’s so wonderful.”

  Patty giggled. “I could tell you thought that about him when I first saw you, and judging by the way he was looking at you, the feeling is mutual.”

  Pleased she noticed that about Mitch, Heather smiled. Never in a million years did she imagine she’d end up with someone like him. She thought she might have an amiable marriage, but this was so much better than any of her daydreams when she was younger. When Mitch joined them, her heart leapt at the way he smiled at her. She was in love with him. They’d known each other for such a short time, but she already knew she loved him.

  Gerty and Patty’s pa joined them shortly after that. Then they started eating. Heather thought the potluck was an enjoyable idea. She spent some time helping Hannah eat, making sure no food spilled on the little girl’s dress. Patty’s father and Mitch discussed cattle and other things that Heather wasn’t familiar with. She figured in due time, she’d learn more about the things Mitch did on the ranch. While the men talked, she turned her attention to Patty and Gerty and joined in their conversation.

  When they were done eating, it was time to clean up, and after that, they went inside the quaint church for the service. Heather tried to pay attention to the preacher, but from time to time, Leroy or Hannah would need her attention. Gerty admonished them twice to settle down when they got restless, and eventually Heather held Leroy close to her side while Gerty put Hannah on her lap. Next to Heather, Mitch sat close enough to her so that their arms and thighs were touching. Her skin tingled with delight, and when he glanced her way, she offered him a shy smile which he returned.

  After the service, they went outside. While the children played, Patty came over to Heather. “I’m glad you’re here,” Patty told her. “I don’t have much in common with most of the other women.”

  Curious, Heather studied her. She was an attractive brunette, and she wore a nice blue dress with
a matching bonnet. She seemed to be nineteen or twenty, if Heather judged her age right. “Really? Why is that?”

  Patty shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t get along with them. I do. I just have a hard time thinking of things to talk about sometimes. I don’t know why. I feel more comfortable around you.”

  “I feel comfortable around you, too, but that’s probably because you do most of the talking,” Heather teased.

  She giggled. “I don’t talk all the time with just anyone. That’s what I mean about being comfortable with you. It’s easy to talk to you.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  Eve called out to them, so they turned in her direction and waited for her to join them. “It was nice meeting you today, Heather. If you need anything, just ask. We’re happy to help.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  Patty waved to her father before saying, “I need to get back to the ranch. I’ll see you next Sunday.”

  After they told her good-bye, Eve waited for her to be out of hearing distance before turning back to Heather. “She’s such a sweet girl, but I don’t think Greg will ever take an interest in her.”

  Heather’s gaze went to Greg who was talking to Mitch and a couple of other men. “Is he interested in someone else?”

  “That’s just it. He’s not interested in getting married at all. I’m not one to spread rumors, of course, but some men aren’t the marrying type, especially if the woman in question only acts and dresses like a woman on Sundays when she has to.”

  Eyebrows furrowed, she waited for Eve to explain what she meant, but Eve changed topics.

  “It’s good that Mitch found you when he did. I hope you two will have many years together.”

  Returning her smile, Heather thanked her then went to help Gerty with the children.

  Chapter Eight

  The next day, Heather peered out the window to see if Mitch had left the barn yet, but he hadn’t. She let go of the curtain in the parlor and turned back to Gerty who was sewing. “I’m glad your hands aren’t bothering you today,” she said as she returned to her seat.