West Winds of Wyoming (40 page)

“Nothing, really. Paperwork. First thing tomorrow I’ll wire Kansas City about the reward. Shouldn’t take long to get a reply.”

She blinked in surprise. “There’s a reward?”

“Quite sizeable, being Tandy Smith was a murdering son-of-a-jackass besides a bank robber,” Thom said with a smile. “Eight hundred dollars, to be exact.”

Nell gasped. Eight hundred dollars! Charlie would be a rich man. Would that change his feelings for her?

Charlie looked over at the pendulum clock hanging on the wall. “I have a date with Maddie and I don’t want to be late.”

“Maddie?” Sheriff Preston asked. “The blind child?”

“There’s more to my story, Sheriff. But I don’t have time to tell it right now. Say, in an hour or two?”

Disappointment squeezed Nell’s stomach.

“And Nell and I still have some talking that needs doing.” He kissed her on the lips, drawing sounds of surprise from all three men. “Didn’t think I’d forgotten, did ya . . . darlin’?”

She just looked at him.

“Nell?”

“I did, Charlie.”

“See how little you know me.” He took her hand and pulled her out onto the boardwalk.

Nell couldn’t contain her excitement and went up on tiptoe. “The answer is yes.”

He chuckled. “You’re jumping the gun again. Seriously, this is something you’re going to want to think about, I’m sure.”

Positive he was drawing this out just to torture her, she pulled free from him and planted her hands on her hips. “I’m waiting.”

He removed his hat, rolling the brim in his hands. This was the first time she could remember seeing him nervous. Even when they’d danced in the kitchen, he’d been more composed than he was now.

“Because Maddie’s blind, she can’t live way out on the ranch. If something happened, it would take too long to get into town for the doctor.”

Nell swallowed. His reasoning made sense.

“Besides,” he went on, looking deep into her eyes. “She needs to be close to town where she can go to school, or where I can have a tutor for her. I have a woman who’s agreed to come out and teach her, but she insists on living in a town, or close. Do you understand what I’m trying to say, Nell? If you marry me, your whole life will change. You’ll have to leave the ranch.”

Happiness swirled within. Nothing was going to stop her from marrying the man she loved. “I understand,” she whispered.

“Well?” His soulful question made him look like a little boy. “What about Seth?”

She put her arms around his middle and laid her head against his chest, not caring who might be watching. “All I know is I love you, Charlie. I’ll live anywhere I have to. There’s no question about that.”

When she looked up into his face, Charlie’s lips found hers and chased away every question in her mind. Tentative at first, the kiss seemed to ask sweetly for her heart, sending tingles racing everywhere through her body. Then the kiss changed. Now it promised her days, years, a lifetime of love. His strong arms held her closer as she ran her own hands up his chest, looping them around his neck.

“I love you, Nell, God knows I do.”

She wanted the kiss to go on and on, but she pulled away and smiled up into Charlie’s face. “I just happen to know about a really nice piece of property coming on the market,” she whispered against his mouth.

“The Donovan farm?”

She nodded. “I can work the horses for the army from anywhere, and it’s only a short walk from town. I’d say the place is perfect.”

His eyes twinkled with happiness. “I was thinking the exact same thing. Let’s go tell Maddie.”

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

F
ive hours later a bathed and shaved Charlie, looking more handsome than ever, sat by Nell’s side on the veranda of the Red Rooster Inn with Maddie on his lap. They watched Brenna and her children, along with Mr. Hutton, walking up the lane. The sheriff, who was going to marry them, was inside with Thom and Hannah, helping Mrs. Hollyhock set up the place for an impromptu party. Nell had tried to lend a hand but they were having none of it.

“If you want to wait, make plans, and have a proper wedding in the church, there’s still time to call this off,” Charlie said. “I didn’t mean to rush you.”

Mrs. Hollyhock had lent them separate rooms to get ready. The bath had been luxurious, and Nell soaked until the water was cold. After washing her hair Mrs. Hollyhock had insisted on brushing out her locks while she sat in a chair. She felt like a pampered princess. The moment Brenna had heard that the wedding would be today, at the Inn, she’d sent Penny over with a beautiful white blouse adorned with yellow ribbons. The garment was the frilliest item Nell had ever worn. She was ready. “Wait and plan a wedding? Is that what you want?”

He shook his head.

“Me, neither. You should know by now I’m not one for fancy stuff, Charlie. The simpler the better.”

He pulled her close and Maddie giggled. “I’m not sure if I quite believe that,” Charlie said. “You looked awfully pretty the other night in your soft white blouse and blue skirt.”

Nell’s face prickled with heat and she chose to ignore his comment. “Seth should be here anytime.” She anxiously searched past the gathering folks. “It was nice of Win to ride out and get him. I hope he caught him before Seth headed up to the corral.”

Charlie picked up her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Don’t you worry. We won’t start a thing until he arrives. I know how close the two of you are. Besides, you have a pretty little girl to stand up with you,” he added, gesturing to Maddie. “I need a best man.”

“I wonder what he’ll think when Win tells him. It’s sort of out of the blue.”

“You may be surprised.”

Nell shook her head, the mass of curly blond hair moving with her. “No, you’re wrong. He’ll be shocked.”

Charlie held out his hand. “Two bits says he’s not.”

Tension mounted in her tummy with each moment that passed. If she only knew how Seth would react, then she could relax. “You’re on.”

Charlie stood and set Maddie back in the chair when Brenna and the rest reached the porch and started up the steps. Nell also stood.

Brenna marched right over and gave Nell a long hug. “I’m still so surprised,” Brenna whispered into her ear. “Delighted beyond measure.”

For one moment, Brenna’s gaze darted to Maddie and Nell felt her pain. “I’m sorry you’re losing her, Brenna.”

“You shush. It’s right and fitting for Maddie to be back with her pa. I couldn’t be happier if I tried. And now she’ll even have a mother of her very own to shower her with love. And Gregory, after spending some time with Maddie and seeing how smart she is, wants her to stay in school. He’s actually going to order a book of Braille and see if he can figure out a way to help her there. I’m not saying she won’t need that tutor Charlie is considering, but it sure can’t hurt. I’m so happy I think I could just float away.” She laughed and hugged Nell again. “It’s the perfect ending to this story.”

Penny stepped around her mother and set the gray kitten in Maddie’s lap. “For you, Maddie. We all want you to have Skippy.” The kitten gave a loud meow.

Maddie beamed. “To come to the new ranch with me?” Maddie reached out and her fingers found Nell’s hand. “Can I keep her, Ma? Can Skippy come to our new home?”

Nell blinked back a surge of emotion. The love swimming in Charlie’s eyes almost had her in tears. “Yes, sweetheart. The kitty can come with us.”

With the happy laughter and everyone talking, Nell missed the hoofbeats galloping up the road until Seth was right in front. He slid to a stop and dismounted, tossing his leather reins over the hitching rail. He made short order of meeting Nell on the veranda. His face, lined with worry, made her stomach drop.

“What’s this I hear? You’re getting married today?” He had a bottle of wine stuck under his arm, a yellow bandanna around his neck, and wore his best shirt.

Nell had wanted to speak to him in private, but now there was no help for it. “Yes.” Her hands trembled. “Charlie and I are in love.”

Seth whipped his hat off and waved it around. “Halleluiah!” he sang out at the top of his voice.

Nell couldn’t believe her ears. “What’re you saying, Seth?”

Charlie laughed and stuck out his hand to her. “Pay up.”

Seth winked at Charlie, then broke into a face-splitting grin while stifling his cough behind his hand. “I don’t move just anyone into the house on a whim, or miss a town picnic,” he said. He leaned in close and whispered just loud enough for the both of them to hear. “Or stay out all night. Or send Nell off to camp under the stars.”

Charlie chortled and slapped him on the back. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

“You mean when you went over to the Logans’?” Nell struggled with her brother’s statement. Was there no end to today’s surprises?

“You just thought I was going over to the Logans’, little sister. I was in New Meringue, where I go often. I don’t want my sweetheart to find a new fella.”

“What?” Nell swayed.

Charlie gripped her by her shoulders. “Steady now, darlin’.”

“How come you never told me?”

“Don’t know. Shy, I guess.”

Nell knew his reasons were more than that. More like he didn’t want her to feel like a third wheel. Like she was holding him back. Didn’t want to move another woman into the house and usurp her position. Her heart surged with love and she threw her arms around Seth and hugged him.

“Hold on, I don’t want you to bust this bottle of wine I brought to toast with.” Fumbling, he handed the wine to Charlie.

Mr. Hutton, who’d been silent until now, stepped forward. “May I see that?” He took the bottle from Charlie and read the label. He looked up, surprised. “This is a
very
nice bottle of French wine. I know several restaurants back in Pennsylvania that sell this exact year for a good seven or eight dollars a bottle. Is there more where it came from?”

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

A
month later, Charlie sat in the saddle in his tan, oil-rubbed rain gear and gloved hands, waiting for Nell and Seth to arrive with the first group of horses for their ranch. With his arms crossed over his chest, he surveyed their new spread. He liked the picture it created under the billowy dark clouds that tumbled across the sky. A small flock of birds brave enough to dare the weather were tossed around by the west winds.

“I wish you could see her, Annie,” he said as he followed the path of the birds. A glimmer of sunlight popped out from behind a bank of clouds, transforming the light patter of raindrops into diamonds. “Maddie’s happy.
Really
happy. And Nell loves her so much. As if she were her very own.” Emotion filled his throat but he swallowed it down. He shook his head in disbelief. “Life’s strange, Annie, and that’s no lie. I never expected to love someone so much again.”

Charlie brushed at the wetness on his cheek that wasn’t created by the rain. As if in answer to his heart, far off in the distance he spotted a double rainbow arching the expanse of sky. He nodded, then smiled.

It had taken a lot of work to get the old Donovan place up to Nell’s liking before she’d bring any horses over from her old ranch. He’d hired Win and a new fellow in town, to help with the construction of two sturdy round pens and several more corrals. Four stalls were added to the already large barn. The fields still had to be prepared for next season to seed with hay, but he’d do that this coming month.

With his chores completed and Maddie dropped off at school, he waited impatiently. Every now and then a thought about Galante and the man’s unrelenting vengeance crossed his mind but he wouldn’t let it destroy his happiness. Come what may, he had to live his life to the fullest, one day at a time.

He liked the way their new home had turned out so far. A few chores remained to be done inside to make the place safe for Maddie, but the majority of the work was completed. He’d added additional slats to the front porch rails so she couldn’t fall through, put up double handrails on both sides of the hallway steps that led to her bedroom, and added a twist lock on the cellar door out of her reach. They didn’t want her to accidently open it and fall down the steep flight of steps. With two ropes strung tight, one to the outhouse and another to the barn, Maddie could find her way.