Mary Connealy (63 page)

“Now we’ll go see about the preacher.”

Lindsay giggled. Emma rolled her eyes. Sarah bounced Betsy and tickled her chin.

Everything was in order in time for lunch at the Cattleman’s Diner. Lindsay was wearing a new dress, and they’d all cleaned up, though Belle refused to buy a skirt that wasn’t split for riding, so she knew she probably still looked like a cowhand.

As Belle slipped into her chair, she announced, “The wedding is right after we eat. The parson will be waiting for us at the church.”

Roy sat next to Lindsay, looking at her with a gleam of joy. The rest of the table was pretty quiet.

At the end of the strained meal, Belle led the way back to the preacher.

There were nine people in attendance. Ten, counting the preacher. Rather than sit down, the women lined up beside Lindsay and the men lined up beside Roy.

With the preacher, it was six men to four women. Maybe that’s why Belle felt defeated. She was outnumbered.

“Dearly beloved.” The pastor had a shining bald head and kind eyes. Small golden wires framed a pair of spectacles, and he held the Good Book open in his broad hands.

Lindsay and Roy exchanged smiles and clung to each other’s hands.

The parson droned on a bit, and Belle looked past her daughter and the man who was tricking her into marriage to see Silas next to Roy. Just as Belle was beside Lindsay. The two of them, both against this marriage, were the worst possible choices to stand up for this marriage.

Lindsay never looked away from Roy, her face set in happy, determined lines, and Belle knew this was no accident. Lindsay could have asked Emma to stand beside her. Roy could have chosen Buck. By selecting Belle and Silas, Lindsay was forcing them to bless this union.

It was tempting to turn the little imp over her knee.

“Do you, Roy Adams, take this woman to be your lawful-wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?”

The parson looked at Roy, who didn’t so much as glance at the man of God. “I do.”

Belle had to admit that none of her husbands had ever sounded as fervent as young Roy here.

“And, Lindsay Harden, do you take this man to be your lawful-wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?”

That wasn’t even Lindsay’s name. Belle opened her mouth, but she caught a look from Silas and a tiny shake of his head. Well, what did it matter? Lindsay’s name wasn’t Harden anymore anyway. And these vows before God had the power of a lifetime commitment, if Roy could manage to stay alive.

“My real name is Lindsay Svendsen, I reckon. Ma was married to another man before my pa. Though I think of him as my father and call myself by his name. But I want to do this right.” She smiled at Roy who didn’t look a bit concerned. “I do.” Lindsay said it loud enough to stab Belle right in the ears.

“Then before God and these witnesses …” The parson blessed the union, just as parsons had blessed all three of Belle’s.

But Belle felt God here in this room, between her daughter and this young man. She’d never felt such from the men she’d married. Yet another sin to pile on her conscience that she hadn’t insisted on a man of faith to marry.

Tears burned in her eyes as Belle watched her daughter make a better, more intelligent choice for a husband than Belle ever had.

Belle managed to hug her daughter once the vows were finished, and they all walked out of the church, Belle on Silas’s arm. She realized she was leaning hard. The loaded wagons had been hitched up so they could ride straight out to Lindsay’s new home.

Roy took one look and frowned. “We aren’t accepting charity from you.” Roy squared off in front of Silas.

Silas looked straight into Belle’s eyes, and she could tell he was apologizing for Roy’s assumption.

“Lindsay isn’t a hired hand, Roy.” Silas answered the question knowing Roy wouldn’t understand his deferring to Belle. “She’s been a full working partner in the Tan…uh…that is the
Harden
Ranch—”

Belle did her best to burn him to the ground with her eyes for claiming the ranch as his own. This was a bad day all around, and she needed to take that out on somebody. She decided right then it might as well be Silas.

Silas continued. “She’s a partner and she’s leaving the partnership. Now that might not make sense to you, but that’s the way we run our place. So this is her part of the partnership paid out in supplies and livestock. It’s not charity. She’s fully earned this. I expect you to let her have every bit of it.” Roy held Silas’s gaze.

Belle had a fight on her hands to keep from shoving between the two of them and taking charge.

In the end, without Belle sticking her nose in at all, Roy gave an uncertain jerk of his chin. “I’ve seen Lindsay work, and it’s true.” He looked at Lindsay. “You really are a partner. That’s one of the things I love most about you—your strength.”

Buck said, “A wedding gift is a traditional thing, son. It’ll help smooth out the first months up there, make things easier for Lindsay. Take ’em for her if not for yourself.”

Nodding, Roy reached out a hand to Silas. “Obliged, sir.”

“Her ma is the one who figured all this out, bought it all, and helped raise up our girl to be the woman you love. Thank her.”

“I’ve missed my ma something fierce over the years. I’m glad to be in your family, ma’am.” Roy turned to Belle and, after a second of hesitation, launched himself into her arms.

Belle caught him close, her eyes wide with shock. She saw Silas suppress a smile.

It was strange holding a young man. Belle had always been determined to have daughters, and if determination could decide such a thing, she’d gotten her way. But maybe a son wouldn’t have been so bad. If she could keep him from growing up to be a man.

She hugged him back mostly to get him to let go of her. Then they set out with the cows and supplies. It eased Belle’s mind to know what could have been a hard beginning for Lindsay’s married life would be comfortable. They’d have a good start, partially because of Belle’s gifts.

Buck had bought a few head of cattle, too, not knowing of Belle’s plans. They all rode out of town together, driving the horses and Lindsay’s beeves ahead of them, with Buck and Shorty driving the freight wagons.

It wasn’t easy to pry Lindsay loose of Roy’s side, but Belle contrived to have a private talk with her daughter. Riding abreast, Belle nervously began her talk. “I want you to know what to expect of a wedding night.”

“I know what goes on with a man and a woman, Ma.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well, Ma, I’ve watched the animals mating over the years, and you and the husbands all shared the same little room we slept in. I think I know what’s coming.”

Belle was horrified to think her children had overheard her and her husbands. Heaven knew she’d done her best to keep the men at arm’s length. Even to the extent of sleeping in a separate bed and keeping a baby with her whenever possible, the soggier the baby the better. Belle had found wet diapers to be a powerful deterrent to a man. “There may be things you…uh…don’t know…exactly.”

With a firm squaring of her shoulders, Lindsay said bravely, “All that happens is I do my best to get away.” Lindsay added sadly, “Except I guess after all is said and done, no woman, nor no female animal, ever gets away, does she, Ma?”

“Lindsay,” Belle said, barely able to speak past her surprise, “the thing is…I didn’t…um, care overly much for any of the husbands. I think if’n you
liked
your husband, and you say you like Roy—”

“Oh, I do like him, Ma, I really do!”

“Then, well…you might not
want
to get away. And anyway, it’s a little…different than animals because of…the hooves and such, I reckon. You just…you just…well, a man has his rights.” Belle felt her neck heat up. She rested her hand on Lindsay’s shoulder, and Lindsay looked up at her, her face as pink as Belle’s felt.

“I’ve been able to teach you a lot of things in my life, Lindsay,” Belle said solemnly. “But I’m not one to teach a young girl about how to love a husband. I think you already know more about that than I ever will. I think you’re gonna be real happy.”

“I think so, too, Ma,” Lindsay said fervently.

“And if Roy is ever bad to you, well, just remember you can outshoot any man I ever knew,” Belle stated firmly. “And if you can’t get to your shotgun, I bought you a cast-iron skillet. So you can—”

“Belle!”

Belle and Lindsay twisted in their saddles to look behind them.

Silas had ridden up and looked outraged.

Belle wondered how much of their conversation he’d heard.

“Belle, you ride on ahead. Lindsay and I need to have a talk.”

Belle exchanged a wild look with Lindsay then looked back at Silas. She might have protested if she hadn’t fallen into the habit of pretending to be an obedient little wife over the last few days…and if he hadn’t looked as if he were considering killing her.

Spurring her horse a ways, she looked back and saw Silas talking. He and Lindsay rode together for the better part of an hour and seemed to be having a nice conversation. Belle knew it couldn’t be about a wedding night, because there just wasn’t that much to know, so she decided it had something to do with the cattle they’d bought and she left them to it.

Later, she noticed Silas talking long and hard to Roy, so she was sure it was about setting up ranching. She almost went over and offered to give them her own advice, believing she was a better rancher than either of them, but she remembered her role as a submissive wife and stayed away.

G
lowing Sun took a single step to run, to force Wade’s hand, to make him decide for both of them.

A loud cry broke the silence. A scream as wild and fierce as a soaring eagle. Her eyes lifted to the mountaintop and she saw her…future.

Wild Eagle. He rode his horse without reins or saddle, carrying a spear, painted for war.

Wade tried to push her behind him.

“No, don’t touch me. He’ll kill you.”

Wade raised his hands away from her.

Glowing Sun moved quickly so her body blocked Wade’s from the possibility of a hurling spear.

In her own tongue she called a greeting. “I’m safe. This man brought me home.”

To Wade she said, “I am to marry him. This is why I say no to you.” She looked over her shoulder and saw Wade’s shock.

He shook his head, denying it.

“Yes, I will go with him to my village. We must never see each other again.” She turned back to face the Salish man she respected but now knew she could never love. “Do not harm him, Wild Eagle. The man who took me is dead.”

Wild Eagle rode up until his horse nearly knocked her back. Her warrior husband-to-be landed on the ground with the grace that had drawn her to him from the beginning. Wild Eagle poured a torrent of words over her. She’d gotten so used to the white words that it took her a moment to understand what Wild Eagle said. He spoke of anger that she’d been taken, as if his possession had been stolen. There was nothing of love or fear. He caught her around the waist and nearly threw her onto his horse. No gentleness, no kindness, no love. Without a look at Wade, as if rescuing her wasn’t worthy of a single thank you, Wild Eagle vaulted up in front of her.

She thought of the way Wade had lifted her onto his horse. The way he’d sat behind her, holding her, letting her sleep in his arms.

Wild Eagle wheeled his horse and, with another war cry, charged up the mountainside he’d just descended. She’d have fallen if she hadn’t known what to expect and been ready.

Glowing Sun couldn’t stop from looking back.

Wade watched her, still shaking his head. His heart in his eyes.

“No!” His cry echoed across the land.

She heard it, but if Wild Eagle did, he showed no sign. Her only answer to Wade was prayer.

Please, God, let him understand.

She turned away and put her arms around her man.

The wrong man.

Because the winter sky was threatening, Belle pushed hard.

They reached the high valley by early that evening, making much faster time without a thousand cattle to prod. The freight wagons had lagged behind, but they were pulling up by the time a fire was crackling and supper was ready.

They bedded down for the night, Roy and Lindsay picking a spot well away from the rest of them, even starting their own campfire. Belle with her three remaining girls. Silas with Buck and Shorty.

The next morning, despite the urgency Belle felt to hurry home to the Tanner Ranch, she didn’t for one second want to leave before Lindsay had a roof over her head.

The men were master carpenters, at least to Belle’s inexpert eye. Shorty tirelessly hewed down logs. Roy and Buck dragged the logs on horseback and threw their backs into lifting, working like no men Belle had ever seen. Silas was the unquestioned boss of the job. He showed a knack for turning a stack of logs into a sturdy, tight little house.