A Love of Her Own (27 page)

April sighed, her shoulders lifting in resignation. “How well I know that after yesterday . . . but thank you for breakfast, Miss Margaret.”

Margaret nodded stiffly, knowing that she’d been too meddlesome, then slipped through the doorway and down the hall. In her own way, she wanted to help April be the best she could be.
If only she’d see Wes for the nice young man that he is
 
.
 
.
 
.

19

The clear October sky beckoned to Wes while he was out mending breaks along the property line. He was grateful for the barbed wire that kept his few steers from wandering off, but he’d snagged a hole in his shirt as he did the repair, and he had a small cut on his finger for his trouble despite his leather gloves. The weather was still warm but comfortable, and the brilliant sun was high in the sky.

He’d been working longer than he realized. He paused, removed his hat, and wiped his brow with his handkerchief, gazing at the trees along the edge of the mountain ridge. They were just beginning to change from green to a hint of subtle gold beauty. The wind stirred through their boughs, making them sway like dancers along the horizon.

Fall was Wes’s favorite time of year. He loved the pungent smell of firewood burning on a leisurely afternoon. He enjoyed sitting on the front porch, a cup of coffee in his hand, or raking leaves while the delicious smells of simmering soup and corn bread in the oven tantalized his senses. In fact, he looked forward to the day he would be sharing the scene in his mind with someone close to his heart.

From the looks of things, it wouldn’t be April. Wes felt a rock in his chest when he recalled what she’d said about the way he lived. He knew he was frugal and hadn’t worried about keeping the place up. But now that she’d pointed it out, he realized that he’d neglected the ranch too much. Instead, he’d spent most of his time training horses and, if he was honest, at the saloon in Lewistown.

But that was before Wes started seeing life differently. He was grateful for the change in his heart. He’d always thought no one would look at him as a possible love interest in the first place. He knew he wasn’t what a body would call handsome, so he’d relied on his wit and humor to get attention from the ladies. Except he had to admit it hadn’t worked in the past . . . or at least not for any long-term relationships with the opposite sex. And it sure hadn’t worked on April.

This week he’d taken a critical look around him and decided that his ranch had little to be desired in the way of welcoming a woman, so he’d gradually started cleaning up the place. Since he tended to get distracted easily, he made a list of things that needed to be done. He removed the pile of extra lumber from a repair he’d made on the porch last year and discarded items that until now lay covered in tall grass. He needed to replace some shingles and knew a trip to the hardware store for supplies was necessary. He knew nothing of how to make his house inviting. Maybe he should ask Juliana’s advice about the inside of his home when she and Josh returned. Even Josh had asked her for suggestions on building his kitchen before the terrible fire.

Thankfully, Wes’s place had been spared from the fire. Had that been just a short time ago? It seemed like years now. He smiled, thinking how God had given back so much to Josh after all his losses. He wished Josh were here to give him insight into his sister—what she was like and what made her tick.
There you
go again, Wes, thinking she’s gonna give you the time of day. Would
you stay if you had a sprawling cattle ranch in Colorado?

Wes just shook his head and gathered up his tools. This kind of thinking was getting him nowhere. He threw his tool bag across Dakota’s back and headed back to the house to change his shirt before riding into town. He planned on taking the horse Morgan had ordered for his wife since he was going into town anyway and could save Morgan a trip.

He wondered when April would be going back to Colorado. Maybe he’d run into her somewhere around town.
Best not to get
my hopes up. She made it very clear that she wouldn’t live in Mon
–
tana. Maybe she has a beau back in Colorado waiting on her return.
That’d make perfect sense since she was pretty and well-to-do.

He gave Dakota some oats to eat while he washed his face and hands. He stared at his reflection in the mirror as he patted his face dry. Just an average cowboy with sun-streaked hair and light stubble on his jaw, with a tinge of sunburn on an already tanned face in spite of wearing his hat. A slow smile spread across his face. He may not be the best-looking man around, but he was certain April had shared the spark between them when he’d kissed her.

He stopped, recalling the taste of her sweet lips. Had his breath smelled okay? He sure hoped so. Wes tried to be scrupulous about that because of all the times he’d smelled alcohol on his dad’s breath.

Time to get going. He slicked his hair down, then donned a clean flannel shirt over his undershirt, quickly tucking it in with a cinch of his leather belt. He suddenly remembered that he needed to check on an order he’d placed at the general store too. He sighed. His list was growing. After he delivered the mare to Morgan and went by the hardware store, he’d check on little Jane before going home. Maybe she’d be ready for another lesson, and Cynthia should be home from work by then.

The town was bustling more than normal in the late afternoon when Wes rode Dakota down the street to the depot, the mare trailing behind. He wasn’t expecting the stagecoach to be parked outside. He assumed Morgan was going to be gone most of the week, but he must have misunderstood him. Before he could tie the reins around the hitching post, Billy came running out and in a breathless voice told him Morgan had been shot.

“What do you mean, Billy?” Wes asked, taking the steps two at a time.

“He and Leon was robbed! Somehow the bandits knew he was carrying a strongbox with the money from the bank.” Billy’s eyes were big and animated.

Wes reached past Billy for the door. “Is Morgan all right?”

“He’s going to be okay,” Billy answered.

“Let me talk to Leon then,” Wes said, striding through the door. When Billy didn’t follow him and was quiet, he turned around. “Well, what are you waiting for? Tell me where they are—are they upstairs in the apartment?”

“No.” Billy looked down at the floor, his voice choking. “Leon didn’t make it.”

Wes stopped dead in his tracks. “What? Leon was shot too?” There was a moment of silence. “Are you telling me that Leon is dead?”

Billy’s brown eyes misted as he stared up at Wes. “That’s what I’m telling you,” he said, his face solemn.

“Morgan’s at Dr. Mark’s place,” a voice answered. A woman walked down the stairs and stood before him. “And you are?”

“Wes Owen, ma’am,” he said, removing his hat. “You must be Lenora. I’ve heard some good things about you.”

“I’m glad to meet you, even under these sad circumstances. I’m about to go over to see my husband. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Mind if I come along?” Wes’s fingers absentmindedly rubbed the felt on his hat. “I brought Morgan’s mare for you.”

Lenora pulled her shawl around her shoulders and shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she said, then turned to Billy. “I may not be back until late. I’m not sure when the doctor will let him come home.”

“I’ll stay right here, Miss Lenora. Tell Morgan not to worry about a thang!”

Lenora reached out and tousled his head affectionately. “I’m sure he’ll thank you himself when he returns.”

Wes followed Lenora, then pulled Billy to the side and spoke quietly. “Billy, think you could take Dakota’s saddle off? I’ll just leave him here and walk with Lenora. Take Lenora’s mare to the barn out back. She can take a closer look at the mare when she’s got her mind on it.”

Lenora was polite, but they talked little on their short walk to Mark’s office. Wes thought her gentle personality seemed well-suited to Morgan’s. When Wes pushed open the door, a bell jangled, and he was surprised to see Miss Margaret and April talking with Mark.

Mark walked toward Lenora. “Morgan’s doing well and asking for you. He’s still weak and spiked a fever during the night. Beth is in there tending to him now.”

Lenora’s shoulders drooped in obvious relief. “I’m so glad to hear that, Mark.”

“You can go on in and see him.” Mark gave her a nudge.

“I just want to thank April for her quick thinking. If she hadn’t been driving that stage, I don’t know what I would’ve done,” Lenora said, reaching out to take April’s hand. “You’re the kind of woman we need here in Montana.”

April blinked her eyes and seemed embarrassed but squeezed Lenora’s hand. “Just doing what came naturally to me.”

“Maybe, but you are our hero, like it or not.” Miss Margaret thumped her cane against the floor for emphasis and winked at Wes.

“Excuse me,” Lenora murmured, and slipped past them to the room where her husband lay.

Wes stood as if his feet were nailed to the floor. He was seeing a different side of April. Softer . . . more caring. He wasn’t sure why he was surprised, but he was. What did he think—that she was always looking after herself and speaking her mind? Well . . . maybe so.

“Well, boy howdy! I guess this deserves a celebration of sorts.” Wes captured April’s hand in his, pumping it in a firm handshake. “You’ll have to tell me all about it.” She was the picture of creamy churned butter in her beige homespun dress, which gave her a more feminine look than the jeans she’d worn to his ranch. Wes found her delightful and wanted to crush her to him in an embrace. Could she feel the tension in his body? He swallowed hard and blinked to clear his thoughts.

April’s gaze never left his face. “You’ll have to pick up the afternoon edition of the
Gazette
and read all about it. I’ve said about all I have to say.”

“You’re being modest, April, but if you folks don’t mind, I have other patients to check on today,” Mark said. “Morgan’s in good hands with Beth and Lenora. Perhaps tomorrow he’ll be up to going home when he’s a little stronger.”

“Don’t let us keep you,” Miss Margaret said. “We won’t be staying. We just wanted to see how Morgan was this morning.”

“Oh.” Mark paused and turned back. “I almost forgot, April. Morgan told me when he woke up that he hid the money in one of
your
saddlebags, because he knew if they were robbed, the bandits would be looking for the strongbox.”

April drew in a sharp breath. “So that’s what he did with it! I never thought to check my own saddlebags. How clever! I guess I’m not entirely broke after all.”

“In fact, he said he was wearing it over his shoulder when the bullet hit him. Even though it went through, that might have saved him from considerable injury. Anyway, the money is probably over at the depot, or Will deposited it today. Check with him about it.”

“Then why didn’t the robbers see it?” Wes asked, finally directing his gaze to Mark.

“I reckon they didn’t figure anyone would be crazy enough to stow the money in a bag right out in the open while he was driving,” Mark answered. “Either way, it turned out to be a timely idea.”

Wes shifted his weight, one hand on his hip. “You got that right!”

Mark stepped up to the door. “See you folks later.”

“Wait,” Miss Margaret called out. “Why don’t you all come to dinner tonight at the boardinghouse? It’ll be good for Lenora, and we can welcome her back home.”

“Excellent idea.” Mark smiled. “See you all then.”

Wes wasn’t sure if Miss Margaret had included him or not.

“I expect you to come too, Wes,” Miss Margaret said, tapping him on the arm with her cane. “Seems like you could use a home-cooked meal from the looks of those baggy jeans.”

Wes jerked around at her remark, and April let out a giggle, then quickly covered her mouth. He almost said something to her but instead said, “I’d love to have dinner with everyone tonight. I have nothing better to do at home.”

“Good, we’ll be expecting you.” Miss Margaret turned to April. “Are you ready to go now and see about your money?”

April took a step toward the door, and Wes could smell the sweet fragrance of rose water as she walked past him. His gaze flew to her eyes, which showed a momentary flicker of softness when she turned around. Or did he just imagine that?

“Yes, let’s go,” April said. “I’ve got a lot to do and I’m sure Natalie and Louise could use some help with extra guests.”

Wes plopped down in a chair and waited for a chance to speak with Morgan when Lenora emerged from his room. The image of April tucked into the corner of his mind gave him a chance to daydream.

20

Wes hoisted the box of shingles to his shoulder and walked in the direction of the depot where he’d left his horse. He’d already checked on his order at the general store, and Earl told him it was due in any day from Texas. Wes couldn’t help his excitement and could hardly wait for the package to arrive, but then he wondered if he’d jumped the gun with his idea. No time to think about that now. He’d worry about it later.

When he saw Morgan earlier, he’d been propped up in bed and smiling weakly at him, teasing him about having dinner with Miss Margaret and the girls. Wes knew it was a good sign when Morgan had his sense of humor back.