CHARITY'S GOLD RUSH (A Strike It Rich in Montana novel) (21 page)

             
“And
, you thought to tell me a falsehood as to why you came
?”
She cast a glance to where Gabriel’s blankets rustled.
“Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful you are here.”

             
He lowered his head. “We’re figuring it’s the same scalawag that started the fire.”

             
“You
h
ave
a
big
m
outh.” Gabriel panted as he tried to sit up.

             
“The fire wasn’t an accident?” Charity rushed to Gabriel’s side and propped pillows under him. A quick touch to his face showed her his fever had ebbed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”

             
“It’s a man’s place to protect his family.” Gabriel reached for the cup of water on a crate Charity had moved close to the bed.

             
“Women can help.” She narrowed her eyes. “Once you’re on your feet. I want you to teach me how to shoot.”

             
“Why?”

             
“What if something really does happen to you? I’ll need to fend for me
self
and the children.”

             
“That’s why women remarry
out here. For the protection
.”

             
“Heaven save me from a stubborn fool.” Charity whirled and stormed outside. Her husband would teach her to shoot, of that she had no doubt. All she needed to do was badger him enough and show him the logic in the idea. Most likely Maggie had known, so why the hesitation in Charity’s case?
Gabriel Williams was the most infuriating man!

             
She plopped on a stump outside the barn and rested her chin in her hands. Maybe she was fatigued and small things bothered her more than they should.
Gabriel’s distrust in allowing her to be his partner in all things was another sign of his plans to eventually send her away. Why did she keep hoping things might be different?

             
“Ma?” Sam stepped out of the barn. “Is Pa dead?” His chin trembled.

             
Charity held out her arms
.
Sam, followed by his sister, launched into her lap. “Your father will be fine.” Cranky as ever.

             
“Then why are you sad?” Meg asked.

             
“I’m tired, ‘tis all.” Charity smoothed chocolate-colored hair away from her daughter’s face. “You look so much like your father.”

             
“He ain’t our real pa.” Sam pulled away and leaned against her knee. “But we love him like he is.”

             
“Not your real pa?”
Her heart thudded to her stomach
as her hand fluttered around her throat
.
Another secret Gabriel kept from her?
Did she know anything about her husband?

             
“Nah, our pa died in the war, then
M
a remarried this pa.
But, they talk like they used to know each other when they were young’uns.
When she died, he kept us.”

             
Something else that ate at Gabriel like a starving hound?
Did his desire to keep the children have anything to do with his wager against the land?
Charity
held
the children tight. They had no blood
relatives
left. Gabriel needed to take care of himself so he would be around to raise these children. Somehow, Charity needed to convince him to let her stay on past the agreed date. If she was no longer around, and Gabriel died, who would care for these angels?
She needed to have a serious conversation with her husband.

             
She set her chin. She’d refuse to go, simple as that.
“Your father is awake. Why don’t the two of you go in and check on him?
He could use some kisses and hugs.
”

             
They dashed away, leaving Charity to dwell in her thoughts. Her gaze roamed past the burned aspens to the creek,
then over to the barn and the frame
of the new house. She’d grown attached to the land, despite the difficulty of each day’s work, and she loved the stubborn man lying wounded on the bed. She straightened. She had all winter to convince Gabriel to keep her
, n
ot to mention Thanksgiving and Christmas. Two days she would make very special.

             
Gabriel
came slowly out of
the sod house, leaning on Hiram’s shoulder. Charity gasped. Fully dressed with his rifle in hand! “Are you crazy?” She rushed to his side. “I wonder about your mental state sometimes. You should be in bed.”

             
“Red Feather is out looking for
my
cattle. A man looks out for his own.”

             
“Sometimes friends help!”

             
Charity glared at Hiram, who shrugged. “He wouldn’t stay down. Short of shooting him again, there wasn’t much I could do.”

             
“Now, what? You’re going to get on your horse?” Charity stomped her foot. “I didn’t climb on
that monster of a horse and keep you from falling off so you could go back out and finish what someone else started!”

###

             
“What are you ta
l
king about?” Gabe
nodded
toward the barn. “Hiram, help me get Rogue ready.”

             
“You can’t even saddle your horse.” Charity flitted around him like an annoying gnat. When had she gotten so bossy?
Tears welled in her eyes
, giving his heart a lurch
.

             
“Are you crying?” He hadn’t been in
he
r company for five minutes. How could he have said something to hurt her feelings?

             
“That’s my cue to vamoose.” Hiram tipped his hat and sauntered to the horse he
left
to graze in the corral.

             
Charity sniffed. “I’m not crying.”

             
“Yes, you are.” Gabe
sagged
against the barn. Maybe he wasn’t ready to get back on the horse. His side burned like all get out. “What did I say this time?”

             
“Nothing. Get yourself killed if you want to.” She gathered her skirts and sprinted for the house.

             
Could she possibly be fearful for his safety? The thought warmed him and lent him strength. Not enough to actually go looking for the cattle like he wanted, but enough to sit outside and wait for Red Feather.

             
Life had gotten as unpredictable as a tornado. Maybe they should start their nightly Bible readings before winter set in. Who said they could only read during the months they were snowed in?

God wasn’t a seasonable God. Most likely
.
More Bible reading
would do them all good and help solve whatever problems Charity carted around that made her as flighty as a squirrel. It might even help Gabe know how to deal with the unknown person stealing his cattle.
Well, not stealing actually.
More like relocating
.

             
He gnawed his lip. Why would someone let the cattle loose, but not keep them
, and then try to kill Gabe
? What would he do when he found the culprit?

             
Instinct made him want to shoot
the culprit
. His heart told him that wasn’t the answer.
Did he really want to shoot Amos? Maggie would most likely come down from heaven and give him a
slap along
side the head if he killed her cousin, distant relation and scoundrel that the man was.

             
A commotion near the corral drew his head up. Red Feather galloped up, and dismounted. “Cows back in pasture. I set plank back in fence. Why not move them closer to home
until you handle this trouble
?”

             
Gabe braced a hand against the barn and pushed to his feet. “I’ve been thinking on it. Been thinking about a dog, too.”

             
“Red Feather have pup. I bring
i
t and its mother. She
good
watchdog.”

             
“I’m obliged. The young’uns will love the puppy. What breed?”

             
Red Feather shrugged. “Big. Wolf
, maybe
. Found after
white people
drove wagons across land.
Dog and pups were left. Only one survived.
”

             
Gabe rubbed his chin. A wolf for the children? “Is it tame?”

             
“Like a baby wolf.” Red Feather grinned. “No worry. She won’t eat your young.
I fetch. I kept for to celebrate your white man’s Christmas.
As a gift for you.
They’re in the woods.
” He nodded and rode away, leaving Gabe second-guessing his decision
about a dog
.

             
Within fifteen minutes,
Red Feather
returned leading the largest dog Gabe had ever seen.
The dog’s back almost
came to
his waist.
Wiry hair, brindled grey and b
l
ack
,
and a lolling tongue. A fearsome looking beast
, y
et almost regal.
“That thing’s a horse!”

             
“No.” Charity sprinted toward them. “It’s an Irish Wolfhound.” She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the adult’s neck. “My you’re a beauty. Is she ours? And the pup?”

             
Red Feather nodded before Gabe could change his mind.

             
“Where are we going to keep something that size? Not in the house.” Definitely not. They already had a cat.

             
“Yes, we are.” Charity stood, keeping a hand on the dog’s head. The dog gazed at her with soulful eyes. “They aren’t staying outside in a Montana winter. We’ll manage. Come on, Lady. You too, Prince.”

             
Lady? Prince? Gabe shook his head. What had he gotten himself into this time? “Thank you very much, Red Feather.”

             
His friend clapped him on the shoulder and laughed. “You very welcome, my
white brother
.”

             
Sam and Meg ran from the house squealing. Meg gathered the pup in her arms, the young things legs dragging the ground. “Is it Christmas?”

             
“Might as well be.” Gabe slumped back on his stump.
The bullet might not have killed him, but living with Charity
very well could
.

             
A few minutes later, h
e sighed and slowly ma
de
his way to the house. He opened the door and stepped into a din that most likely rivaled the wailing of
an asylum
.

             
Lady barked, deep and throaty. Prince yipped and raced around the table, Meg in hot pursuit. Patches launched herself, claws extended at Gabe’s leg and scurried up and around to his back. He added his own yell to the mix and whirled to unlatch the menace shredding his skin. “Get this infernal animal off me.”

             
Charity giggled and grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck. “She’s only frightened.”

             
“She isn’t the only one.” Gabe clutched his side and tottered to his leather chair. After carefully lowering himself, he closed his eyes and laid his head back. Yep, the woman would definitely be the death of him.

             
What in the world would they feed two dogs the size of small ponies? He hadn’t realized Red Feather had such a wicked sense of humor.
No wonder he was so quick to give them up.
What could he get the man as a gift that would rival the one Gabe had received? Payback would be a real pleasure. Maybe he should give him Charity after all.

             
He opened one eye and watched as
Charity
nuzzled the cat, then bent over to let Lady and Patches get acquainted
with the kitten
. Her face lit with pleasure,
her
fiery hair slipping free of its restraints. He fought a smile. Send her away and miss all this?