Zack's Montana Bride (Sweet, Clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series) (2 page)

"If Mr. Buchanan is such a good man, how come he didn't come to the train station to meet us?" Gretchen asked with a petulant tone.

Lydia turned and looked at her daughter. "He's a busy man. Running a ranch isn't easy, you know," she said.

Gretchen frowned, unconvinced. Lydia peered ahead at the trail and pulled Daisy closer. Lydia hadn't lied to Gretchen. She never would. But she hadn't told her the whole truth. She couldn't tell Gretchen that the reason why Zack Buchanan hadn't come to the station to greet them was that Lydia had insisted he shouldn't.

Lydia hadn't wanted to run the risk of a display of emotion in such a public place. She didn't know how Zack would react after all these years. After all, she was coming back to Great Falls to do something she would never in a million years have believed possible. Lydia was coming back to Montana to hold Zack to the promise he'd made.

The horses pulled the buggy up a steep hillside and Ned drew them to a sudden halt.

He pointed down into the valley. "There you are, ladies," he said with obvious pleasure in his voice. "The Buchanan ranch."

And, indeed, there it was. Just as Lydia remembered it.

Zack's ranch.

She gazed down at the white fronted, two storied building that nestled amongst an array of outbuildings, corrals, barns and lines of wooden fencing that stretched off in all directions.

"Oohh. Look at that," Kate gasped. "Mama. Is that where we're going to live?" she asked excitedly.

"We sure are, sweetheart," Lydia confirmed.

"It's beautiful," little Daisy murmured in a soft, tired voice.

Lydia kissed Daisy's hat. "It sure is," she agreed.

"It's in the middle of nowhere," Gretchen blurted out. "How are we supposed to have fun in a place like that?"

Lydia turned to Ned. "I think there's lots of fun you can have on a ranch. Isn't that right, Ned?"

The foreman nodded and turned to the two girls seated on the back seat of the buggy. "You'd be surprised at how much you can do in a place like this," he said with a smile. Gretchen didn't look convinced, peering suspiciously down into the valley.

Lydia drew herself up, readying herself. She touched the buttons of her dress, wondering how she looked, asking herself if Zack would even recognize her after all these years. Would she even recognize him? Surely, living out in a place like this would have changed him, made him harder, tougher. But then again, when Lydia and Zack had been sweet on each other all those years ago, Zack had already been tough, occasionally impatient but also very often kind and sometimes gentle. Lydia smiled at the memories of those times and of the man who had meant so much to her. And then, the familiar sadness rose up, unwanted and insistent.

But that had been before her father had taken her away from Zack, removing Lydia to a new life in San Francisco, where she had met the man who eventually had become her husband; where she had borne Daniel Robards three wonderful daughters; where her own father had passed away, taken by an infection acquired from one of his patients; where her husband Daniel had passed also, leaving Lydia alone, with no means of support, nowhere to go and with no option but to do the one thing she never thought she'd have to do.

Lydia had come back to Montana to marry Zack Buchanan.

CHAPTER TWO

"They're here!" Mrs. Brodie yelled. Zack raced from the parlor into the kitchen to find the housekeeper peering out the window. Zack ran to her side and gazed out, laying a hand on her strong shoulder. It was true. Far off, he saw the familiar buggy making it's way down the hill, Ned holding the reins, heading for the entrance gate with the Buchanan name carved in wood high above.

Zack's heart started to thud so hard he was sure Mrs. Brodie must be able to hear it. He stood back from the window, tugged on his waistcoat and straightened his jacket.

"How do I look?" he asked breathlessly.

Mrs. Brodie turned, her eyes narrowing. "That's the best you can do?" she asked teasingly.

"Why? What's wrong with how I look?" Zack demanded.

Mrs. Brodie ran her eyes up and down Zack, taking in the dark suit, the pressed white shirt, the sturdy boots. "I guess it'll have to do," she said with a nod.

Zack turned and went to the mirror by the door. He licked his fingers and ran them quickly through his thick, dark hair. "You could do with a haircut," Mrs. Brodie observed. "You've been spending too much time with the longhorns. You're starting to look like one," she said.

Zack turned and frowned. "You are joking. Right?"

Mrs. Brodie shook her head. "Just make a good impression, Zack. She's going to be as nervous as you. Just remember that. And there are children to think about too," she said.

Zack took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I need to make a good impression. Those kids will sure be feeling strange in a place like this. They've been used to city life."

Zack went to the window again. The buggy was rolling into the yard. Mrs. Brodie took Zack by the shoulders and looked up into his eyes. The teasing had been replaced by an expression of genuine goodwill. "Just be yourself, Zack. That's the best thing you can do. It's what she'll be wanting."

Zack smiled down at Mrs. Brodie. His housekeeper had been a rock all the years he'd known her. And now was no exception. "It's just so incredible to have her back," he said softly.

"Maybe some things are meant to be," Mrs. Brodie said quietly.

Outside there was the sound of the buggy drawing to a halt. Zack forced himself to stay away from the window. Mrs. Brodie released him and Zack made his way to the front door. He paused and took a deep breath before slowly opening the door.

Zack stepped out onto the porch, looked across the yard and felt his breath stop, his throat tighten, the blood drain from his face.

It was her. Lydia was actually here. Now. In the one place where Zack would never have expected to see her.

She was looking at him, sitting there on the front seat of the buggy, only a few feet away, elegantly dressed in an exquisite blue outfit that made her look like she'd been dropped from a sophisticated Eastern salon onto the wild Montana landscape. Her eyes were fixed on him, and he was sure he saw her mouth drop open ever so slightly.

And one thought overwhelmed Zack's mind. It was so forceful that there was nothing he could do to stop it completely taking possession of him.

Lydia was so astonishingly, breathtakingly beautiful.

Zack forced himself to take a breath. He willed himself to smile at her, aware that his face had frozen temporarily into an expression of pure and total amazement.

And then she did the one thing that truly made his heart leap. She smiled at him, her face lighting up, her lips parting into a warm, genuine smile.

Zack's feet felt rooted to the spot. For a moment there was only Zack and Lydia. It felt as if time had stopped.

An excited scream cut into the timeless moment and Zack became suddenly aware of a flurry of activity around Lydia. A small girl wearing a white dress was standing next to Lydia on the buggy and was pointing off in the direction of the corral.

"Look, Mama. A pony," The little girl yelled excitedly.

Lydia turned to the girl. With a gentle hand on the girl's arm, Lydia tried to calm her daughter down. "I can see that, Daisy. We can see the pony later. First, I'd like you and your sisters to meet someone very important," Lydia said.

Her voice. Lydia's voice sounded like sweet music to Zack's ears.

It was almost the same, although now it had perhaps a slightly more authoritative edge to it than he could remember. But then she'd only been eighteen years old when he'd last heard her voice. Zack stepped off the porch onto the soft earth of the yard, taking a step closer, the smile fixed on his face

Ned stepped down off the buggy and came around to Zack. Ned smiled at Zack. "I'll just get me some water," he explained and headed for the kitchen.

Zack took one more step closer to the buggy. Lydia was busy fussing with the three excited girls. Another few steps and he was by the side of the buggy.

Zack cleared his throat and looked up at Lydia. She was turned away from him and quietly asking the two girls in the back seat to keep their voices down. Zack looked at the locks of blonde hair which tumbled out from under Lydia's pretty blue bonnet. She still had her back to him. The two girls sounded like they were arguing about something. But, all that Zack could think of was how pretty their mother looked close up, even if she still had her back to him. For a moment, Zack thought that she was turning away from him deliberately, delaying their introduction. But then he could see just how much it was taking to get the two girls to stop their friendly disagreement.

Zack cleared his throat, this time louder and with a grin toward the boisterous, noisy girls on the rear seat. The dark haired girl suddenly stopped arguing with her fair haired younger sister and turned, fixing Zack with a penetrating, quizzical look.

Then Lydia turned and looked at Zack and his heart leapt at the sight of her delicate, elegant features. Her beautiful blue eyes.

"Lydia," Zack said failing to control the cracking of his voice. "It's so good to see you again."

Lydia's bottom lip quivered slightly as she gazed down from the seat. "Zack. It's such a pleasure to meet you again," she said. Her voice was soft and filled his ears with a sweetness he hadn't known in years.

Zack reached up a hand. "May I help you down?" he offered.

Lydia smiled and nodded, reaching out a gloved hand and allowing him to wrap his fingers around her own. The touch made Zack's hand almost tremble. He swallowed and forced himself to straighten and adopt an air of courtesy.

Zack took a step back and watched Lydia rise to her feet and step down off the buggy. With a downward glance she straightened her dress. Zack was aware of the children watching wordlessly from their seats, but it took all the strength he had to tear his eyes away from their beautiful mother and give all three of them a reassuring smile. In turn, all three faces scrunched up in response. Zack smiled when he saw that.

"Thank you," Lydia said wiping dust of her dress. And then she lifted her head and gazed into his eyes and he felt like the world had shifted on it's axis. Her clear icy, blue eyes were every bit as lovely as he'd recalled so many times before. Only now there was a moist shimmering which prompted Zack to quickly address the children.

"And who are these lovely young ladies?" he asked with a smile. Immediately the eyes of all three widened and identical smiles spread across their features.

Lydia turned. "May I introduce my daughters." She gestured to the small girl seated on the front bench. "Daisy. Say hello to Mr. Buchanan."

Daisy stood up and curtseyed. "Pleasure, Mr. Buchanan," she said in a tiny, thin voice that sounded a little tired. Zack felt a tug at his heart. The little girl was so cute and so well schooled in good manners.

Lydia gestured toward the rear bench. "Kate." The older girl curtseyed in similar fashion. "Mr. Buchanan. Mighty nice to meet you," she said with a smile, all politeness and good graces.

"It's an honor to meet you, Kate," Zack said. Kate's face lit up when he said that.

With a final gesture toward the dark haired girl next to Kate, Lydia introduced her oldest daughter. "And this is Gretchen. My eldest," Lydia said. Zack caught the briefest of glances from Lydia, as if she were trying to explain something to Zack.

"Gretchen. I'm mighty pleased to make your acquaintance," Zack said. And then he bowed, placing a hand across his heart. "It's a real honor to meet all of you. I'd like to welcome you to ranch Buchanan." When he raised his head he saw that all three of the girls were looking at each other in astonishment.

Zack was aware that he perhaps should temper his enthusiasm. He didn't yet know how Lydia had explained the situation to the children. How much detail she'd given them about the plans. But, they certainly seemed happy. Well, two of them at least. Zack saw that Gretchen was giving the ranch house a real good look. He wondered what was going through her mind.

Zack glanced at Lydia and saw that she seemed pleased at his gesture of Montana courtesy.

"Let me take some of your bags," Zack said moving to the back of the buggy and undoing the straps that held the small number of cases. "Is this all you brought with you?" he asked Lydia.

She nodded. "Don't worry there's more to come. I've arranged for the shipping firm to transport some more of our things. It'll take a few weeks though." She glanced at the first of the trunks Zack was trying to get his arms under. "In the meantime, that should do us," she explained.

Zack tried to lift the trunk but quickly set it back down with a thud. "Whew. What have you got in there?"

Lydia smiled and the children giggled. "The bare essentials," she said.

"Is that all?" Zack asked jokingly. "Feels like you've got some gold bars in there," he said.

"You know how children are. They like to have their own things everywhere they go," Lydia said with a glance at her daughters. All three frowned.

"When can we see the rest of the ranch," Gretchen demanded suddenly.

Zack glanced at her and raised his eyebrows. "I figured you'd all like to get settled in first. I think my housekeeper has some plans to feed you all first. How does that sound? Are you hungry?"

Gretchen glanced at her sisters. Kate spoke up. "We haven't eaten much today. Have we, Mama?"

Lydia ran an embarrassed hand along the side of her face. "We had a packed lunch," she explained to Zack. "But it didn't last long."

Zack nodded. "I see. Well I'm sure Mrs. Brodie can do something to fix that," he said. "Meantime, if you'll all follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."

Zack heaved up the trunk into his arms and started toward the porch. With a glance behind him, he saw that the children had leapt down off the buggy and were following behind their mother in well organized straight line.

Zack pushed the door open with his foot and stepped into the hallway. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned. Mrs. Brodie appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron.