Hunter's Montana Bride (Montana Ranchers and Brides #8) (6 page)

Hunter interrupted Mrs. Roper, but all the while he kept his eyes fixed on Gretchen. "I think we'll need to prepare the big front room upstairs, Mrs. Roper."

Gretchen looked at him, seeing the determination that had suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Hunter looked down at Lewis. "We're going to have some extra people staying for the foreseeable future," he said finally.

CHAPTER SIX

After much discussion, and the intervention of stern words from Beatrice, they finally managed to persuade Gideon to come into the house. Once he got the news that Gretchen and the children would be staying at the ranch, his attitude seemed to change. Hunter went out to the yard and helped Gideon bring the small number of cases and boxes that had been crammed into the back of the carriage. Gretchen remained in the parlor chatting to her mother, all the while listening to the sounds of her belongings and those of the twins being carried up the stairs. The occasional noises of gruff conversation between Hunter and Gretchen's father brought smiles to the faces of Gretchen and her mother.

"So he agreed that you could stay? Permanently?" Beatrice asked, although it was plain that she already knew the answer to that question.

Gretchen nodded looking down at the tiny figure of Lewis nestled in her arm. "It seems like the right thing to do, mother," she answered.

"Of course it is Gretchen. This is where you all belong," Beatrice said.

"I know it is," she said gazing around the inside of the parlor. "It is so very beautiful out here."

"And the ranch house will be even larger once Hunter has finished the improvements," Beatrice said. "Maybe room for even more little ones."

Gretchen frowned. "Mother. I'm only just coping with these two little treasures. I can't even begin to give a thought to any more," she said.

"Give it time, my dear. I'm sure Hunter would love to have more children," Beatrice said.

"Do you think so?" Gretchen asked Beatrice.

"I do, my dear. He's a good man. Despite what your father keeps on saying," Beatrice said.

Gretchen paused and placed a finger in front of Lewis's extended hand. The baby curled his tiny fingers around it. Gretchen savored the feeling of her baby grasping onto her, as if asking for protection.

"Did he ask about where you went?" Beatrice asked.

Gretchen looked at her mother and nodded. "He wanted me to tell him. But you know I can't."

"I know Gretchen. It is so very difficult. Especially when you've given your word as you have. But that's the way when you give someone a promise."

"Promises can be such terrible burdens, mama," Gretchen said sighing loudly.

"But you know that your father and I have tried to bring you up to be a person of your word. There is nothing more important in life than keeping the vows you make to other people," Beatrice said.

"I know mother. I understand that."

There was a loud crash from upstairs. Gretchen looked at Beatrice in alarm, but her mother's smiling face immediately calmed her. "Sounds like everyone's belongings have finally been delivered to the room," she said.

"I didn't realize we'd brought so much stuff," Gretchen said.

"There's still more to bring over from Helena," Beatrice said. "We can have it brought over in the next few days. Do you think you have enough for the babies?" Beatrice asked.

Gretchen sighed. "You know we can never have enough for them."

Beatrice smiled reassuringly. "There are some good stores in Billings. I'm sure that anything you need can be easily had there."

Gretchen felt a softness inside and realized it was a sensation of relief. There really wasn't anyone quite like her mother. She had always been there for Gretchen, no matter what the circumstances. Gretchen's overwhelming memories of her mother were of a woman filled with kindness, willing to give whatever support she could to her daughter, all the while providing a gentle guiding hand on the road of life.

Gretchen felt momentarily blessed that her mother had come with her to the ranch, just to ensure that everything would be fine for her beloved daughter and precious grandchildren. Seeing how comfortable and satisfied her mother appeared gave Gretchen all the reassurance she needed. She was sure she was doing the right thing by staying at the ranch.

There were more sounds of heavy footsteps from above followed by the sound of wood scraping on wood as furniture was obviously being moved around.

Gretchen wondered just what Hunter was doing up there. She'd told him that the babies would have to sleep in the same room as Gretchen. But there had been one decision which had been left unresolved.

Where would Hunter sleep? Would he sleep in the same room as Gretchen and the babies?

Beatrice glanced up at the ceiling. There were voices being raised. Decisions being made about just where things should be placed. "Sounds like there's a war going on up there," she said. "Perhaps I should go up and help those men decide how to arrange a room fit for babies to sleep in," she said.

Gretchen frowned. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, mama," she said. "It is Hunter's home after all."

Beatrice gave Gretchen a stern look. "The home belongs to both of you. Don't forget that you are his wife," she said.

"How can I forget that? Especially after what happened."

Beatrice came over to the sofa and sat down by her daughter's side. "I understand it is going to be difficult for you to settle in here, Gretchen. You and your husband have to learn how to be a married couple all over again," she said.

Gretchen's brows furrowed. "We haven't even started to be a married couple, mama. Don't you remember. I had to leave the day after our wedding?"

"I know, my dear. And it was such a difficult thing for you to do. I can't imagine how hard that decision was for you to make. But you did what you did, and there's no going back to the past."

Beatrice reached over and took Gretchen's hand in her own. "I have not the slightest doubt that things will work out fine between you and Hunter. You know I'm never wrong in my assessment of people. One thing I am absolutely certain of is that you are the finest young woman in these parts. And that, in Hunter, you have the finest man in Montana. Apart from your father, that is," Beatrice concluded with a broad grin. "Although I am contractually obliged to say that. As you know," she concluded with a rolling of her eyes.

Gretchen started to laugh and she felt her eyes moisten. "Oh, mama. What is going to become of me?" she asked suddenly.

Beatrice leaned in closer. Gretchen felt the warmth of her mother's presence fill her soul in the way it always had done, ever since she had been a child.

"What you are going to do, Gretchen is take the best care you can of these two precious little people," she said glancing at Lewis and Hannah. "That's what you are responsible for now."

"But Hunter and I have been apart for almost a year. How can we overcome that barrier between us? How can we start anew?"

"It's only a barrier if you both agree that it is," Beatrice declared. "I'm sure Hunter wants you all to be happy. Sure, there will be things you both have to work out, but I have no doubt you'll both be able to do so," Beatrice said. "No matter what it takes," she said finally and very emphatically.

Gretchen peered into her mother's eyes and saw a familiar look of quiet determination.

"Don't forget you are my daughter, Gretchen. I've tried to bring you up to be strong. To take responsibility for your life. Unfortunately there are times when you think rather too much of other people before yourself. I suppose that is hardly a fault. But it isn't something I see in too many people. Nevertheless your responsibility is now to your own children and to your husband."

Gretchen reached out an arm and wrapped it around her mother's shoulder. "Mother. You are so very dear to me. I can always rely on you to set me right," she said.

Gretchen felt her mother nod her head. When she once again looked into Beatrice's eyes she saw that her mother's eyes had begun to moisten. "Don't cry, mama. Everything is going to be fine," Gretchen said.

Beatrice nodded. "I know, Gretchen," she said wiping her eyes. "I just want you and Hunter and the children to be as happy as you can possibly be. That's all," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

"And we will be," Gretchen said, glancing down at Lewis. "Won't we, Lewis?"

And when the the baby looked up at Gretchen's smiling face he smiled right back at her. Both Gretchen and Beatrice burst into joyous laughter at the sight of Lewis's smiling face.

Maybe things were, indeed, going to work out fine.

*****

Later that evening, after a tasty meal prepared by Mrs. Roper, they said their farewells to Beatrice and Gideon. Gretchen and Hunter stood on the porch, each with a baby held proudly in their arms. They waved to the carriage as it headed off down the trail toward Billings. Beatrice had informed Gretchen that she and Gideon would visit with some old friends in the town, before catching the train back to Helena. And that just seemed as fine a justification as Gretchen could think of for leaving Hunter and her to get on with the business of settling the children into their new home.

Upstairs, the room had been laid out so that there were two beds. One was wide and large enough for Gretchen to lie on with the babies by her side, leaving plenty of room to ensure that she wouldn't roll over onto them during the night. Hunter had explained that he'd be going into town the next day to buy two cots for the children to sleep in. But, for tonight they would have to make do with this arrangement. Gretchen agreed that it seemed like a sensible, temporary solution. Glancing at the other single bed squeezed over by the window, she'd asked where Hunter would be sleeping. With a frown he'd explained that he'd be sleeping on the single bed. For now.

Later, as Gretchen lay on the bed, with the two babies snuggled up next to her, wrapped loosely in soft bedclothes, listening to Hunter's steady breathing from the other bed, she tried to fathom the importance of what had happened during the day.

What a momentous day!

Here she was, sleeping in the same room as her husband, with their children by her side, having seized responsibility for their lives and come back to a place where she felt they all truly belonged.

But, how come she was filled to bursting point with worry? What was that churning sense of anxiety that was gnawing away at her, even while she cradled her precious children; even while she listened to the sound of her husband's soft breathing on the other side of the room.

For a brief moment it all seemed so very strange to be here, in this room. There was so much she had to learn about Hunter. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him. How had he coped while she had been gone? How had he survived the doubt and uncertainty of not knowing where Gretchen was?

Gretchen knew that on more than one occasion Hunter had gone to her parents' home in Helena, searching for his missing bride. Gretchen's mother had told her of how hard it had been to convince Hunter that Gretchen wasn't somehow hiding out in her parents' home, avoiding contact with her husband. They had even brought him into the family home and shown Hunter that indeed Gretchen wasn't hiding there for some unexplained reason.

But, oh, how it had torn at her mother's heart to not tell Hunter the truth. Because to have told Hunter the truth would have broken a sacred vow. Perhaps Hunter wouldn't have believed the explanation, in any case. The combination of happenstance and obligation had conspired to wrench Gretchen away from her beloved husband.

And he was a beloved man, in every sense. She peered across the darkened room at the figure of her husband, resting on the too small cot, the moonlight shining on his shoulders and his head. There would be time for explanations. From both of them. Gretchen was sure of that.

Right now, the precious bundles by her side were the absolute priority. Not only for Gretchen, but also for their father. She had seen how Hunter had reacted to the children and it had filled her heart. There had been an instant connection to them which had been almost miraculous to behold. The love in Hunter's eyes was the same kind of love she'd seen in his eyes when they'd both been sweet on each other; the same look of adoration that had been written on his face all through the wedding ceremony.

Gretchen thought of her wedding day. Memories of the day created a swell of emotion inside her. It had been the happiest day of her life. No exception. There had been so many people in attendance at ceremony which had been held at the ranch. Ranch employees had rubbed shoulders with townsfolk and owners of neighbouring ranches. Amongst the other ranchers had been Trent McIntyre and his wife Chloe, Nathan Grantly and his wife Abby, as well as Devlin Cooper and his wife, Elise. Add in a whole lot of babies and children along with various housekeepers and they'd ended up with a noisy but wonderful group of well-wishers crowded into the ranch house where the ceremony had been conducted graciously by the local minister.

It had been a special and truly wonderful day. Everyone had been so happy to witness the joining of Gretchen and Hunter in holy matrimony. The reception had been as lavish as Hunter could make it, and been well received by every one of the guests.

Later, after the guests had departed, and she had been left alone with her new husband, the time they had shared during the night had been filled with a sense of love and simple joy at being together at last, after so many years of being sweet on each other. Their union had been passionate, and Hunter had proved to be every bit the gentle and sensitive man she had always known him to be. And in the morning, upon awakening, the world had seemed boundless and full of opportunity for the newly married couple.

A curling twist of nerves started in her stomach as her memories came to that fateful day.

But, before she had a chance to recall any of that, she felt Hannah stir by her side, and within a few moments the little girl started to cry out. The sound of the little voice filled the room with a surprising forcefulness and insistence. Gretchen reached across and drew the blanket back, whispering to her daughter. She heard the sound of Hunter shifting on the other bed.