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

  “Wish me luck,” Mitch whispered. “I think this might be a profitable move for me.”

  She wanted to ask him how it would profit him, but he had already turned to head in the man’s direction. She shrugged and went back to the buttons and ribbons she’d been studying. Whatever he meant, she hoped the outcome would be to his satisfaction.

  Not sure what else to do with the coins until it was time to pay for the purchase, she slipped them into her pocket. She picked out a couple of white ribbons, but she had a terrible time deciding between the ivory buttons and the dark green ones. Finally, she chose the green ones.

  “In one of her letters, Ma said you love the color green.”

  Her blood ran cold. She didn’t want to turn around to see her brother, but she didn’t see what choice she had. Frowning, she spun on her heel and came face to face with the last person she wanted to talk to.

  Abe glanced at her pocket. “Seems to me that you found a way to be provided for. I can’t recall a time when I saw a woman hold that many coins.”

  “It’s not what you think,” she told him, gripping the cloth in her hands. “Mitch is my husband.”

  His eyes widened. “Husband? You mean that man not only won you, but he did right by you as well?”

  Her face grew warm at the implication that he thought she’d ruin herself for anyone who provided for her. “Yes, he did. He’s a good man. Nothing like that seedy man you were ready to sell me to.”

  He raised his hands in the air. “Oh now, Heather. That’s not fair. I had a good hand and believed I was going to win. We were going to live like kings if I had won that last hand.”

  “You were going to live like a king, you mean.”

  “No. I meant we, as in you and me. We’re family. I wasn’t planning to throw you to the wolves.”

  “But you did!” Realizing others had heard her outburst, she quickly lowered her voice. “I have nothing else to say to you, Abe. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a brother.” To emphasize her point, she turned her back to him, and switched the green buttons with the ivory ones. The last thing she wanted was to be reminded of him every time she saw those green buttons.

  “Ah, don’t treat me like that. I really did think I had a winning hand.”

  She grabbed the other supplies she’d need to make her dress and shoved them into a basket.

  He reached out and touched her arm. “Heather—”

  Startled, she jerked her arm away from him. “I have nothing to say to you, Abe.”

  “Ma’am, is he bothering you?” someone asked.

  She looked over her shoulder and saw Greg Wilson. Relieved, she nodded. “Yes, he is.”

  “I’m her brother,” Abe told him. “I’m not bothering her. I was trying to talk to her. There’s no harm in a brother talking to his sister, is there?”

  “There is if she doesn’t want to talk to him,” Greg replied. “And you don’t want to talk to him, right?” he asked her.

  She nodded. “Right. I don’t want to talk to him at all.”

  “Seems clear to me,” Greg said.

  Abe laughed but as they frowned at him, his laughter died down. “But Heather, we’re kin.”

  “Being kin doesn’t mean I have to talk to you,” she snapped, irritated that he chose to press the issue while someone was watching, especially someone who knew Mitch.

  “If you don’t get out of here, I’ll be happy to take you to the sheriff,” Greg pressed, stepping toward her brother.

  “Alright, alright. I can tell when I’m not wanted,” Abe grumbled then sulked out of the mercantile.

  Relieved, Heather felt the tension in her shoulders ease. She couldn’t believe she’d been happy to meet Abe when he first stepped off the train in Bozeman. She’d heard of him all her life, but until then she hadn’t met him. Now she wished her mother hadn’t written to ask him to return to Montana.

  Turning to Greg, she offered him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

  “I couldn’t stand by and watch a man disrespect a woman. You’re Mitch’s wife, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. We briefly met at church.”

  “I knew you looked familiar. Name’s Greg Wilson.”

  “I remember.”

  “Well, then you have a better memory than me.”

  She shrugged. “I just noticed that you and Mitch spent a lot of time talking.”

  “Mitch and I’ve known each other our entire lives. He’s a good man. You won’t regret marrying him.”

  “Oh, I know I won’t. He’s very kind.”

  “And unappreciated for a lot that he does.” She wondered about his comment, but he added, “I have to get back to the ranch. Tell Mitch I said howdy.”

  “Will do,” she called out.

  She watched him as he left and thought it was no wonder that Patty had her heart set on marrying him. Greg was a nice man, which also went to show that Mitch was wise in who he chose to associate with. With a smile, she returned to selecting the other items she wanted to purchase.

  ***

  Mitch couldn’t believe his luck. Old man Taggert was willing to pay a pretty sum for some of his sheep. It took him all of his willpower to avoid running to the mercantile like a boy who received a cherished toy for Christmas. He hadn’t been sure if he could buy Heather a new hat, but now he could. And better yet, he could get the materials he needed to improve the fence on his property.

  As he passed by the bakery, someone called out to him. He hesitated, not sure if he wanted to talk to his brother or not. After a quick debate, he turned around in time to see Boaz approaching, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped.

  “What is it, Boaz?” he asked.

  “I just wanted to thank you for helping me Friday night. You know,” he shrugged, “at the saloon.”

  “Yeah well, don’t expect me to do it again. I meant what I said. I’m done.”

  “I know, Mitch. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I haven’t touched a single drop of alcohol since that night.”

  Mitch rubbed his eyes. If he had a nickel for every time his brother said that, he wouldn’t need to work another day in his life. “Boaz, I know you mean well. You always do, but this is something that’s going to be harder to quit than you think it’ll be.”

  He lowered his gaze and shifted from one foot to another. “I never got so drunk I almost lost my horse. It shook me up, you know?”

  “There’s been a lot of things that’s shaken you up over the past couple years. None of them has made your life any better.” Though Mitch tried to be gentle in the way he said the words, he knew they still hurt his brother. “I wish I could win a card game and make all your problems go away, but until you come to peace with what happened to Hannah, I don’t think you’ll be able to quit drinking. A step in the right direction might be seeing your children. Let them know who their father is. Find out about them.”

  His face grew pale. “I can’t. They…they…”

  “I know. They remind you of your wife, and when you see them, you can’t help but remember the day she died.”

  Boaz gulped. “It’s harder than you think.”

  “I’m sure it is. I’ve never lost a wife, but I’d like to think even if I did, I’d want to see my children. Leroy and Hannah aren’t just her children; they’re yours, too.”

  After a long moment where Boaz kicked at a small rock and rubbed the back of his neck, he finally nodded. “You’re right. I need to see them. And I will.”

  “Great. They’re right here in town today at Preacher Higgins’ house.”

  “Oh, well, I didn’t know you meant today. I-I need time. To prepare. I don’t even know what to say to them.”

  “The longer you put it off, the harder it’s going to be.”

  Boaz cleared his throat. “I realize that.”

  “So…?” Mitch motioned for him to continue.

  “I just need more time. How about next week? I’ll come out to your place. See the children and Ma.
See your new wife. I hear you got married to that poor young woman whose brother was trying to bet her off in the game.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “You’re a good man, Mitch. Always were. Always did the right thing. Always did what people expected of you.” His voice drifted off, and his hands shook. He crossed his arms and chuckled. “I have a hard time going without a drink.” He cleared his throat. “I tend to shake a bit.”

  Mitch didn’t know the first thing about what happened when a man who was used to drinking stopped, but he gathered it wasn’t pleasant from the times he’d seen his brother sober. He looked as if a horse dragged him a good mile through a pile of rocks.

  “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that I got a job at the livery stable,” Boaz said.

  “You did?” Mitch tried to hide his surprise, but he had a hard time believing anyone would employ Boaz considering how many jobs Boaz had gotten fired from over the past two years.

  “Yep. I’m going to start doing the right thing and be more like you.”

  “No one expects you to be like me, Boaz. You need to be you. Be the man Hannah married.” Boaz lowered his gaze, and Mitch felt a pang of sorrow for him. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories for you. I just meant…” Unable to find the right words, he grew silent.

  “I know what you meant, Mitch. I liked myself better back then, too.”

  Mitch patted him on the shoulder. “I hope this is a new start for you.” He glanced at the clock across the street. “I better go. Heather’s expecting me.” And he’d kept her waiting long enough. Considering she didn’t know the town all that well, he didn’t want her to grow impatient and start looking for him.

  Boaz nodded. “I’ll come out to your place next week.”

  As Boaz headed off in the opposite direction, Mitch realized there was a big chance Boaz wouldn’t show up, so he decided he better not say anything to his mother or the children. The last thing they needed was to get their hopes up again.

  Taking a deep breath, he headed for the mercantile. The walk the rest of the way was pleasant enough, but his good mood had been dampened to a point because of Boaz. It shouldn’t have been. Boaz was a grown man and responsible for himself, and God knew that Mitch had no control over what Boaz did or didn’t do. But he felt responsible for him anyway. Not anymore. I can’t keep watching out for him. He needs to deal with the harsher realities of life on his own. He repeated the admonition to himself several times.

  When he reached the mercantile, he forced all thoughts of his brother aside and opened the door, aware that Heather was paying for the items the owner had put in a box. Pausing for a moment, he took the time to enjoy the fact that she was his wife. She was such a pretty thing, too. He doubted he’d ever get tired of looking at her.

  She glanced his way and smiled as the owner handed her the change. Taking that as his cue, he walked over to her and gathered the box in his arms. “Did you get everything you wanted?” he asked as he inspected the things she’d purchased.

  “Yes.”

  She handed him the change, and he sorted through the items in the box. Most of them were supplies they needed for the kitchen. He frowned. “You didn’t buy much for yourself.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t need much, Mitch. I’m happy with what I got.”

  “Maybe, but I’d like to get you a hat. Maybe that one over there.”

  She turned to look at the green hat with a nice ribbon and a lacy flower decorating it. “Isn’t it expensive?”

  “Not with the deal I made with Taggert.” He turned to the owner and motioned to the hat. “We’ll take that hat off your hands and I’d like to add a cameo to it. Also, how about that scarf?”

  The owner nodded and went to retrieve the items.

  Mitch leaned close to Heather and added, “My ma is partial to scarves.”

  Her face grew pink. “You’re buying me the hat and the cameo?”

  “Sure. Why not? You’re my wife, and I’d like to spoil you a bit.” Noting the uncertain expression on her face, he smiled. “I’ll explain about Taggert on the way home, and you won’t feel so guilty about accepting my gifts.”

  “Alright.”

  He resisted the urge to kiss her cheek, for she was utterly adorable, and turned his attention to the owner who came back with the extra items. Once he made his purchase, they left the mercantile and headed for the Higgins’ residence so they could go home.

  Chapter Ten

  “He doesn’t even notice me,” Patty said, a wistful tone in her voice, that Sunday.

  Heather turned from the potato salad she and Gerty made for the potluck so she could see Greg who was talking to Mitch and a couple other men. The group of men laughed at something Mitch said.

  Patty smiled. “It’s nice to see Mitch happy.”

  Curious, Heather furrowed her eyebrows. “Wasn’t he happy before?”

  “I don’t know if I’d say he was happy. I’d say content is a more apt term to describe how he was before. Now he’s definitely happy, and it’s all because of you.”

  Heather blushed at her words, hoping Patty was right, that she was responsible for his jovial mood this morning. Noting the way Patty’s gaze went back to Greg, she said, “Greg’s really nice. My brother approached me at the mercantile this week, and when he wouldn’t leave me alone, Greg stepped in and helped me get rid of him.”

  Patty’s attention returned to her. “Your brother is still in town? What did he want?”

  “Money,” she muttered, her hands gripping the skirt of her dress.

  Her gaze went to Heather’s hands. “I can’t remember ever seeing a woman’s knuckles go so white.”

  Forcing her grip to loosen, she said, “I thought he was a good man when he came to help me after our parents died, but then he got greedy at the poker table.”

  “What did he do?” Patty asked in a hushed voice so no one would overhear them.

  With a quick glance around, Heather pulled Patty away from the group so she could talk to her. She needed someone to confide in, especially a woman she felt close to. Granted, Mitch knew the situation, but it was different when she talked to a woman. She couldn’t exactly explain how, except only another woman could understand what a perilous position she’d been in when she was at the poker table, when her fate was being decided by a group of men.

  “You won’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you,” Heather insisted.

  “Of course not.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath. “My brother had no money. He told me he was going to take the winnings from the game and send me back East to our aunt. I don’t know if he meant it, but he ended up getting greedy and was willing to offer me as part of his bet in hopes of getting everything on the table.”

  Patty gasped. “You mean, he was selling you? The winner had the right to marry you? And Mitch won the hand?”

  “The winner didn’t have to marry me. He could have done anything he wanted to with me.” Despite the warm air, Heather shivered. “I doubt John Meyer would have married me.”

  “John Meyer is the worst man you could have ended up with.”

  “Yes, I got that impression when I was at the saloon.”

  “But Mitch won.”

  “Thankfully, and he was willing to send me back to my brother, but I didn’t want to have anything else to do with him. That’s why I’m relieved Greg intervened when he did. My brother might not listen to me, but he’ll listen to another man. He didn’t approach me until Mitch left the mercantile, and who knows how long he was watching me so he could talk to me?”

  Patty shook her head and frowned. “You let me know the next time your brother comes around, and I’ll come after him with a rifle. I might not look it, but I’m a sharp shooter. I’ll have that brother of yours hightailing it right on out of here.”

  Heather giggled at the mental image of an angry Patty chasing Abe off with a gun. “Oh Patty, I’m so glad I got to meet you. You’re so much fun.”

  Thou
gh she smiled, she said, “I can do it. I’m not the type to make an empty boast.”

  “I don’t doubt it.”

  “And you wonder why Greg Wilson hasn’t taken an interest in you,” a woman said, interrupting their conversation.

  Surprised, Heather glanced over her shoulder in time to see Eve slip between them.

  “Patty, dear,” Eve began as she rested a hand on Patty’s shoulder, “if you persist in acting like a man, how can Greg ever notice you?”

  “I don’t act like a man in front of him,” Patty argued, adjusting her hat so it wouldn’t blow off her head when a gust of wind blew around them. “I have to wear pants when I round up cattle and help Pa brand them. As for guns, someone has to protect the animals from coyotes and other vermin that are looking for a meal.”

  Eve clasped her hands together and sighed, her gaze turning upward. “The fact that you freely speak of such things will do you no good. Fortunately, I can restrain from the dreadful sin of gossip so Greg needn’t know what you just told me. But Patty, you must be careful. There are some women who have trouble minding their own business, and they’d be more than happy to let it slip that you have masculine tendencies.”

  “I don’t see why such a thing should upset anyone,” Heather spoke up, wondering what Eve was getting at.

  Eve turned her attention to Heather. “Do you participate in the activities Patty just described?”

  “Well, no, but I have no reason to. Mitch has a man who helps him with the ranch. I’m needed in the house with his ma and children.”

  “Exactly, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. The men are to work outside and provide the food. The women are to tend to the home and children.”

  “But if Patty is good with the animals, she could help Greg.”

  “Nonsense. She can help him better if she cooks his meals and washes his clothes. The poor man doesn’t need a ranch hand. He needs a woman.” Eve crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “Really, Heather, I’m surprised you would encourage such behavior. You mark my words, Patty. If you don’t start acting like a woman, you’ll never get Greg to propose.” Eve’s daughter called out to her, so she said, “My children need me. Patty, keep in mind where you want to be five years from now, and you’ll know what to do about Greg.”