His Bewildering Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 3) (13 page)

Much to Travis’s surprise, a grin of triumph spread across Wendy’s full lips. “At least we won’t have to worry about where to make our nest.”

“What?”

Her smile widened, and she clasped his hand. “Travis, I’ve been so worried about how we could blend our two lives together. I’ve been beside myself figuring how you could do your ranching work and I could do my seamstress work at the same time.”

“It’s still a problem. The only work I know how to do around here is ranching. I could look for a position with someone other than Howard or Bonneville, but it would probably involve moving.” The more he thought about it, the sicker his stomach felt. “And Bonneville has probably put the word out to his friends not to hire me.”

Wendy shook her head and squeezed his hand harder. “There is so much more that you can do, Travis Montrose. We may not know what will happen for us tomorrow,” she raced on before he could interrupt, “but neither can we rule out that this newfound freedom might be exactly what we need to find a solution that works for both of us.”

He wanted so desperately to believe her. His chest squeezed tight, and his heart ached for her to be right. In spite of the pain of uncertainty, Travis smiled.

“You’re so much stronger than me, you know that?”

Her grin flashed with mischief. “Maybe. Or maybe I’ve just had more twists of fate that have made my life better when I thought it would be worse. Like marrying you.”

He couldn’t argue with that. He let his shoulders relax, then leaned forward to kiss her, quickly but passionately. She was right. Nothing at all in the way they had come together or the way their relationship had progressed was expected. This was just one more twist in their road. He adjusted her hand in his and started for the hotel door.

“Let’s go win a competition, Mrs. Montrose, and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”

By the time they made it to the church, almost the entire town of Haskell was brimming with excitement. Knowing that not a soul would listen to his sermon without it, Rev. Pickering invited the ladies of Haskell to parade down the aisle, displaying their finery. Travis watched the show from his seat beside Wendy at the front of the church. The Bonnevilles usually took up the front pew on the right—which they saw as their due—and Howard and his family generally sat on the left, but that morning, Howard invited Wendy to sit in his place.

“Of course, I think that one is the best,” Melinda said in a stage whisper to Vivian as Mrs. Milligan made her way down the aisle, head held high, expression proud.

“No one would doubt it,” Vivian replied, her false whisper as good as a shout. “Ugh, what is that hideous thing?” she went on to say when Estelle reached the front of the church and turned to show off the dress Wendy had made.

“It’s…it’s…” Melinda worked her jaw and studied the dress, evidently failing to find an insult to hurl at it. “It’s such a stupid color,” she said at last.

“It’s lovely and sophisticated,” Honoria murmured.

“Shut up, Honoria,” Vivian and Melinda snapped in unison.

On the chancel, Rev. Pickering cleared his throat. “Ladies, if you please. That was a fine display of the beauty and talent that Our Father has granted to women. And now, if you will take your seats, today’s lesson will be about the devotion of women, as shown to us in the song of Miriam after the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea.”

Travis squirmed in the pew as everyone returned to her seats. Several of Wendy’s clients stopped to squeeze her hand or wish her well, but once everyone was seated, all there was to do was wait. Wait and think. And however Travis tried to look at the situation, all he saw was uncertainty and failure. He had failed as a husband before he had much of a chance to be one.

“Stop fretting,” Wendy whispered to him as they stood to sing the final hymn. “You’re in church. You’d be better off praying.”

“I’m doing that too,” he murmured back to her.

She chuckled and shook her head, then launched into singing the hymn.

Through Travis’s worry, the thought struck him that, all in all, things could have turned out much worse. At least he had Wendy to stand beside him, even if the two of them had no idea where they were standing.

As soon as the hymn ended, the church burst into activity once again. Before the congregation could do more than stand, Theophilus Gunn marched down the aisle with the town’s wooden voting box and a thin stack of papers in hand. Howard met him at the front of the church, and together they turned to the expectant congregation.

“Ladies and…well, mostly ladies,” Howard began. “We have come to the moment of truth for Haskell’s first dressmaking competition.”

A spattering of applause turned into a full roar. People took their seats again and Howard went on.

“You all made such a lovely picture standing up here in your new finery, but now is the time to vote.”

“I have ballots—or rather, questionnaires—right here,” Mr. Gunn said, holding up the papers. “Each of these papers asks questions about the fit of your dresses, whether your seamstress accomplished the vision you had for it, and whether it is fully executed. Please score them on those items and sign your name to the bottom of the paper. Signatures will be verified,” he added, darting a glance to the Bonneville sisters, “to be sure that no false scoresheets are turned in.”

“I wasn’t planning to do that anyhow,” Melinda piped up, face red.

Howard cleared his throat. “Yes. Well. Gunn will give you the scoresheets now. Fill them out, and bring them up here to the voting box.”

“Do they really need a box if each woman is required to sign their name to the scoresheet?” Wendy whispered.

Travis’s mouth twitched to a grin. “Howard likes to do things with as much drama as possible.”

Wendy snorted, then covered her face as she laughed. The sound warmed Travis, and he too smiled.

At least until he caught sight of Bonneville glaring at him across the aisle. There was no mistaking the disdain in the sour man’s expression. Even if Travis had wanted to talk to the man about changing his mind and hiring him, that one look said any effort to reconcile with him would be a complete loss. The look also convinced Travis he wouldn’t want to reconcile with the man anyhow. But that didn’t change the fact that he was now unemployed and soon to be broke.

“There we go.” Howard clapped his hands together and rubbed them as Gunn finished handing out the scoresheets. “Now that that’s done, all we have to do now is wait.”

Chapter Eleven

The main auditorium of Haskell’s school echoed with excited chatter. As Travis and Wendy stepped into the room, they were not only greeted by the scent of fried chicken and fall vegetables from the potluck, they were met by the applause and admiration of friends.

“You’ve held your head up remarkably through this whole competition,” Estelle was first to say, hugging Wendy like a sister. “And I love my dress.”

“Me too,” Lucy rushed to add. “Whatever the results of the voting are—and I don’t believe for a moment that you’ll lose—I want you to make all of my clothes from now on. It’ll save me the time of making them myself.” She laughed at her joke.

“It’s no laughing matter,” Katie said, although she too laughed. “I don’t have time to fuss with sewing these days, not with all my little ones to chase after. And I may just need a few very special dresses before long too.” She pressed a hand to her abdomen.

The ladies all cooed and congratulated her. Travis kept his smile in place, but he didn’t know the first thing about the women’s world. Babies were—

He nearly choked as the realization hit him that, in all likelihood, he and Wendy would have babies to worry about in as little as a year’s time. How could he possible handle that with no idea what would happen next in his life? The happy conversation of the women began to blur into a jumble that left him gasping for breath.

“Son.” Travis jumped a mile when Howard Haskell came up behind him and slapped him on the back. “You look as though you’ve swallowed a horseshoe.”

“Uh…”

Travis was saved from explaining his panic as Wendy spun to face Howard.

“Mr. Haskell, come what may, I can’t thank you enough for hatching the idea of this contest,” she said. “It has truly been the fulfillment of a dream.”

Howard beamed, puffing his chest with pride. “A good competition can solve all sorts of ills, my dear.”

“I never would have believed it, but now I know that’s true. And again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.” She rested a hand on Howard’s arm.

Howard blushed as if the queen herself had granted him a boon. “See, Elizabeth?” He turned to his wife, who stood smiling by his side. “Competitions are a good thing, not a frivolous waste of time.”

Travis’s lips twitched as Elizabeth Haskell rolled her eyes at her husband. He could only imagine what kind of arguments had gone on in the Haskell home over this and half a dozen of Howard’s other wild ideas.

“This one was a good thing,” Wendy insisted. “No matter what the outcome, not only have I proven my skill to the town, I’ve made wonderful new friends.” She turned to smile back at Estelle, Lucy, and Katie.

More than that, her gaze traveled on across the room to where Honoria Bonneville was watching their conversation. It could have been Travis’s imagination, but he swore that Honoria would have rather been standing with them than with her catty sisters. He shifted his weight, rubbing his chin and studying Honoria. There had to be some way to separate her from her family enough so that she could have friends outside—

“You!”

Rex Bonneville's booming accusation hushed half the conversations in the room. Travis blinked and stood straighter, only to find Bonneville marching across the room to him.

“Finally come out of hiding, have you?” Bonneville boomed. He went so far as to poke a finger into Travis’s chest when they stood toe-to-toe.

Travis ignored the gesture rather than punch Bonneville in the face, which was what he wanted to do. “I haven’t been hiding,” he said. “In fact, everyone in town knows where I’ve been.”

“You’ve been hiding from me, you weasely little traitor.”

Elizabeth and the other women gasped and clucked over Bonneville’s slight, but Travis brushed it off.

“I don’t see how I could be a traitor when my loyalties were never with you in the first place, Bonneville.”

“I should say not,” Bonneville growled.

“The only loyalties I owe are to my wife.”

“Her?” Bonneville snorted. “Well, I hope she makes you very happy, because she’s cost you the best job you’ll ever be offered.”

“So I’ve heard.” Travis stood tall, arms crossed, staring straight into Bonneville’s eyes without blinking. “Frankly, after the events of this week, I was less and less inclined to accept it anyhow.” Bonneville started to speak, but Travis went on with, “I took a look at that contract of yours. Does Billy know that your terms imply he could never buy land anywhere in Wyoming and set up a ranch of his own at any point for fifty years after leaving your employ?”

“Why…I’m sure…he does.” Bonneville’s face went red and he darted an anxious glance around the room, no doubt looking for Billy.

“What kind of dastardly contract are you shoving at your employees?” Howard demanded. Before Bonneville answered, he turned to Travis. “You’re not going to work as Bonneville’s manager?”

“No,” Travis said.

At the same time, Bonneville snapped, “My employment contracts are none of your business.”

Without further comment, he turned and marched back across the room to his daughters.

“There’s no end to that man’s underhandedness,” Elizabeth hummed under her breath.

“I wouldn’t work for him if he was the last person in Wyoming who was hiring,” Travis said. “Of course, that also means I don’t have a job at all now.” He did his utmost not to look at Howard, not to seem like he was asking or begging for his job back. He had more pride than that.

Sensing his problem, Wendy took his arm, smiling up at him. “Any man worth his salt would be proud to have my husband working for them.”

“You can say that again,” Howard proclaimed, just like Travis knew he would. “You’re welcome to come back to Paradise Ranch whenever you’re ready.” His jubilant expression dropped. “Although it would be difficult for me to demote Luke Chance after he’s shown such a knack for your job.”

“I’m not sure it would be right for me to come back,” Travis reassured him.

“No?”

Travis turned to Wendy, smiling back at the confidence and hope in her eyes. She was far more optimistic than he ever would be. All the more reason to give his whole heart to her.

“You see, sir.” He turned back to Howard. “Wendy tells me it’s important for her to live in town if she’s going to start her dressmaking business.”

“Which I would like to do, whether I win this competition or not,” Wendy explained.

“So living out at the ranch, or even in The Village, wouldn’t work for us. I’m sure we can find a boarding house that will accept a married couple somewhere in town. And as for work…” He trailed off, still without a clue of how to solve that problem. If worst came to worst, he supposed he could do odd jobs for people here and there.

“Living in town you say?” Howard rubbed his jaw and hummed. “Boarding house…town work…hmm.” He raised his head out of his thoughts and searched the room. A moment later, he waved to Herb Waters. “Herb! Come over here at once, I have an idea.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”

Howard ignored her and waved for Herb to move faster. An expectant buzz began to build at the base of Travis’s spine, working its way up to his throat. He glanced to Wendy, who looked back at him in question. Travis shook his head and shrugged slightly.

“Herb.” Howard thumped the man on the back as he joined their circle. “How’s your sister in Denver doing?”

“Not too well,” Herb sighed, twisting his hat in his hands, eyes downcast. “The doctors say it’s her heart. She’s a widow, you know, and has no one to run that business of hers. I’ll probably have to leave Haskell to take things in hand, just like we were talking about the other day.”

In spite of the sadness of the story, Howard beamed from ear to ear. “There you go.” He nodded to Travis.

Travis blinked and frowned. He exchanged a confused look with Wendy before turning back to Howard. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s as simple as Sunday.” Howard rocked on his heels and tucked his thumbs into his vest. “Travis here is in need of a job,” he told Herb. “He’s got loads of experience working with cattle and horses. Herb will leave behind a thriving livery when he leaves. Have you got someone to replace you?” he asked Herb to be sure.

Herb rubbed the back of his neck, his troubled expression brightening to relief as he studied Travis. “No, I don’t. At least, I didn’t.” His smile grew. “You want to take over the livery from me, son?”

An elephant could have charged through the room and Travis wouldn’t have been more stunned. “The livery?”

“Sure.” Howard laughed. “It’s all horses and wagons, mostly. Nothing you couldn’t manage. And it’s right here in the heart of town.”

Beside him, Travis felt Wendy draw in a breath. “You would hire Travis to take over your livery? Just like that?”

“Hire?” Herb chuckled. “Mrs. Montrose, if I do need to go to my sister and her family, I would
give
it to him. Or at least become a silent partner, collecting a share of the profits while Travis here was part-owner and ran the place.” He studied Travis again. “In fact, I like the idea more and more.”

Wendy pressed a hand to her chest. “I’ve never known people who could be so generous.”

“That’s what we do in Haskell,” Howard said with a broad grin. “That’s the whole point of the town, the whole reason I established it. I want this place to be all about neighbors helping neighbors.”

Wendy laughed, her eyes sparkling. “All right. Do you think you could find a neighbor willing to let a room to a newly married couple?”

It was Howard’s turn to laugh. “What do you mean, let a room?”

“We’ll need someplace to live until I’ve earned enough money to build a house,” Travis said.

“Nonsense.” Howard waved away his protest. “I have it on good authority that you’re about to win this dressmaking competition, Mrs. Montrose.”

Travis frowned in confusion, and so did Wendy.

“I…I wouldn’t presume, Mr. Haskell, but even if I do…”

“Part of a prize is one of the empty stores on Main Street, is it not?” Howard went on.

Again, Wendy and Travis exchanged puzzled glances.

“That’s all well and good for Wendy’s shop,” Travis started.

“The stores have living quarters on the second floor, above the shop itself,” Howard interrupted to reveal his final surprise. His grin grew to almost comic proportions.

Travis’s jaw dropped. “The store is a house too?”

“Yes, it is.” Howard thumped him on the arm. “Clever, eh?”

It was more than clever, it was the best surprise Travis ever could have thought of.

“See,” Wendy said beside him, laughing. “I told you that everything would be all right.”

“Well…I…” Travis stuttered.

“Listen to your wife,” Howard said, nodding to Travis, then turning to Elizabeth. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s always listen to your wife.”

Before Travis could make any sort of a reply beyond dropping his shoulders and laughing with the wonder of it all, Theophilus Gunn moved to the center of the room and clapped his hands.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention. The results of the dressmaking competition are in.”

Wendy caught her breath at Mr. Gunn’s announcement. Her head whirled with the unexpected turn of events surrounding Travis’s job. It spun even more at the thought that they could live above her shop, but she didn’t want to let happiness get the better of her until she was completely certain the shop was hers. Judging by the show of support she’d had from the ladies she’d constructed dresses for and the way Melinda’s clients were standing on the other side of the school auditorium from her as Mr. Gunn held up a small card to read, the results seemed obvious.

“It appears we have a clear winner,” Mr. Gunn went on to confirm her suspicions. “And that winner is Mrs. Wendy Montrose.”

The ladies standing around Wendy burst into cheers and hugged her. The rest of the room applauded. At least, the rest of the room except for the Bonneville sisters.

“What?” Melinda exclaimed, indignant. She picked up her skirts and advanced on Mr. Gunn in the center of the room like a general leading a charge. “There must have been some mistake. You read the card wrong.”

Vivian and Bebe followed her, Honoria reluctantly tagging along. As Melinda reached Mr. Gunn, she snatched the card out of his hand. She scanned it, then let out an indignant yelp.

“Forty-three? I only scored forty-three out of one hundred?”

“I didn’t think it would be appropriate to read the scores aloud.” Mr. Gunn spoke softly and tried to retrieve the card from Melinda, but Vivian pushed him out of the way.

“Ninety-two?” she bellowed. “That…that…” Her face twisted as she failed to find a polite word to call Wendy. “
She
scored ninety-two?”

In spite of the venom of Vivian’s words and three of the Bonneville sisters’ looks, Wendy smiled. “It was nice of her to advertise that to the room,” she said quietly.

Beside her, Travis laughed and reached for her hand. “Yes, it was.”