Joshua's Montana Bride (Sweet, Clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series) (11 page)

Joshua leaned in close and his lips sank slowly onto her own. His kiss was inevitable, gentle and sensitive to how she was feeling in that moment. His lips were soft and kind, grazing her slightly open mouth with a delicate and tender caress. The sounds of the river faded beneath the thundering of her heart.

Then, just as quickly, their lips parted and they were gazing into each others' eyes, a connection present that hadn't been there before.

He understood. That fact was all that mattered in those moments. Here, in this precious place, he had made his feelings plain and clear to her. She was under no illusions about the depth of his feeling for her. The truth was, she never had been in any doubt. Their friendship had always been somehow a masquerade for something deeper, more meaningful. And she knew that now.

Joshua wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her close against his broad chest. Laura, settled against him, feeling her whole body soften. As she leaned her head against him she felt his heart beating steadily, firmly, and she sensed the reassuring strength of his body.

Laura closed her eyes and savored the sensation of being with this man who was her husband now. This man who had once been merely an acquaintance, but who was now so much more. The melodious sound of the flowing river mingled with the steady pulse of his heart. Laura McKenzie gazed across at the bend in the river and wondered just what direction her life would take from this moment on.

Joshua would have stayed by the riverside for the rest of the day. Especially if meant he'd get to hold Laura the whole time. It felt so good to have her close to him, to feel how relaxed she was in his embrace. This place was their place. It always had been, and after what they'd said to each other, he knew it always would be their special corner of Montana.

The day seemed to go on forever. They continued to talk about all the things that had been standing between them in recent times, and after a while he started to feel that the barriers were finally starting to come down, albeit slowly and reluctantly.

Joshua got the sense that Laura understood that it might be time to move on, to recognize that her time living at home as Belinda Thorne's daughter had come to a close, and that now it was time for her to be Mrs. Laura McKenzie. She'd always be Belinda's beloved daughter, and even a sister to Eli. Although he knew there were still some way to go before that would be settled once and for all. There seemed to be so much animosity between Laura and Eli. Joshua knew that a reckoning was imminent on that score. He and Eli would have to have words, man to man.

Later in the afternoon they mounted their horses and headed back to the ranch. Joshua kept a wary eye on the sorrel stallion, making sure that he didn't get a chance to act up. But, Laura never once looked as if she wasn't in complete charge of the animal, during the entire ride home.

As they rode up to the house Joshua saw that they had some visitors.

"Looks like two troublemakers have come to pay a visit," he said with a smile.

Laura peered ahead. Two men, both about the same age as Joshua, were standing on the porch. They seemed to be involved in a real heated conversation. But, judging by the smiles on both their faces, it looked like it was all good natured.

As Joshua and Laura stepped down off their mounts and tied the horses up to the hitching rail, Mrs. Bell came striding out of the house, two tall glasses in her hands.

"There you go," she said handing a glass to each of the two men. "Hope that takes care of your thirst, boys," she said.

Each of the two men took eager gulps from their glass. With simultaneous gasps of relief they both turned and looked at Joshua and Laura.

Joshua put a hand at Laura's back, leading her over to the porch. He extended a hand. "Laura. May I introduce my two best buddies, and friendliest rivals in the ranching business. Zack Buchanan and Aaron Stewart."

Aaron's eyes flashed brightly as he playfully pushed Zack aside. "Let me be the first to congratulate you Mrs. McKenzie," he said. He turned and shook his head at Zack. "I can hardly believe I'm saying that. Joshua went and got married. Can you believe that Zack?"

The other tall, even featured man stepped forward. "I surely can, when I see just how beautiful Mrs. McKenzie is." He extended a hand. Laura and Zack shook hands.

"Please. Call me Laura," she said. She gasped slightly. "Mrs. McKenzie sounds so...formal. Don't you think?" she said turning to Joshua. He smiled.

"You are a very lucky man, Joshua," Zack said emphatically. "You know that. Don't you?"

Joshua grinned. "I do know that," he said looking at Laura. "I believe I've spent quite a bit of time telling Laura that today. Haven't I?"

Laura felt the color change in her face.

Mrs. Bell coughed. "Are you all going to stand here the whole day chin wagging? Or are you coming inside. I've got some cakes that need eating," she stated.

Joshua smiled at his housekeeper. "How could we refuse such an offer, Mrs. Bell."

"Well you could try. But I wouldn't be responsible for what happened if you did," she said with a wry smile. They all started to make their way inside the house.

Joshua was pleased to see his friends. It would help the day end on an even more satisfying note than he could ever have hoped for. These two men were his closest friends, had been ever since he'd started building up his own ranch. They'd all helped each other dealing with inevitable problems of ranching in Montana.

Their ranches were close to each other, so they were regular visitors to their respective spreads. They saw each other regularly in Great Falls, especially when it came time to bringing in the herd for sale.

But Joshua, Zack and Aaron were more than just friends. They were allies in the battle of life that was the ranching business. They'd stood side by side, through storms, winters, threats from rustlers, and trouble from other more dangerous types like bankers and lawyers. The two men were like brothers to Joshua, closer even than his own brothers who lived so far away that he hadn't seen them in ages.

The two men had contrasting personalities. Dark haired Zack was the more serious of the two, while Aaron was a man who seemed determined not to take life too seriously, no matter what happened. But that difference in the men's personalities was a reflection of the contrasting fortunes both men had had in their dealings with the opposite sex. Both men were handsome by any standards, and had had more than their fair share of attention from the ladies of this part of Montana. But both were determined to remain unmarried, which made what Joshua had gone and done even more surprising. Even shocking. He could only imagine the panic they'd both felt that one of the trio had succumbed to the temptation to wed. If only they knew the reasons behind his decision. Then it might not seem so hard to understand.

As they made their way into the parlor, Joshua looked over at Laura and felt a rush of pride. She was so beautiful, so elegant and graceful. How could he not have wanted to marry someone so sweet and dear? Those two men didn't know what they were missing out on.

Mrs. Bell laid out a fine spread of coffee and cakes which the three men made short work of, much to Laura's obvious amusement. She especially laughed when the three ranchers fought over the last cake on the plate. Joshua eventually won out, the argument that the cakes had been made in his kitchen winning out in the end.

"Have you heard about old man Gillespie's spread?" Aaron asked, suddenly becoming serious for a moment.

Joshua frowned. "No. What about it?"

Aaron took sip of coffee. "Seems like he's on his last legs. He's been sick for a while. But he's an ornery old critter."

"Who's going to take over the ranch when he dies?" Joshua asked.

"His daughter," Aaron said bluntly.

Zack coughed on his final bite of cake. "His daughter? Eva? How is she going to do that?"

"Seems Eva's been the only one running the ranch this past while," Aaron said. He shook his head. "A woman can't run a ranch on her own."

Laura stiffened. "Of course she can. If a man can do it, then a woman can too," she declared.

Joshua smiled and quirked a brow at his two friends. "Careful what you say, guys," he warned them.

Zack and Aaron looked at each other and seemed to exchange a brief glance that warned caution might be in order.

"Doesn't Gillespie's spread run next to your own, Aaron?" Joshua asked.

Aaron's eyes seemed to go unnaturally dark and his good humor was suddenly absent from the conversation. "It does. And the Gillespies have been a thorn in my side for a while now," he admitted.

"That would have nothing to do with old man Gillespie's daughter. Would it?" Zack asked with a mischievous grin.

Aaron flashed him a sharp look. "Nothing to with Eva at all. Don't know what gave you that idea," he said curtly.

Zack looked like he was determined to press the point and Joshua started to worry for the peace in the room if his friend continued. "Just that I heard that she's a mighty fine looking woman. Even if she has the spirit of a bronco," Zack stated.

Aaron put down his cup. "Let's change the subject, shall we."

Zack looked like he was having real trouble containing his laughter. "If you say so, Aaron," he said.

"Mrs. McKenzie. How are you settling in to life on the ranch?" Aaron asked, obviously desperate to move attention on to other matters.

Laura glanced at Joshua. He wondered what she was going to say. Whether she would be as honest with his friends as she had been with him.

"I find life on the McKenzie ranch to be mighty fine and pleasing. Of course I've spent a long time growing up on my parents' ranch. So I already know what to expect," she said.

Joshua breathed a sigh of relief. "What she really means is that she's still getting used to living with me," he said with a smile.

Joshua glanced at Laura and saw her eyes narrow in an appreciative understanding.

Zack laughed. "Well. I admire your courage Laura. Your husband must be a real difficult man to put up with." Zack grinned. "I don't know how you do it," he said with a shake of the head.

Aaron thumped Zack's arm which drew a yell of pain from the rancher. "That's Joshua you're talking about. You and I know he's the sweetest man this side of Montana," Aaron stated, rolling his eyes.

Joshua groaned. "Boys. You're just embarrassing me. I don't know what Laura's going to think of me after hearing all this from you two," he said.

Laura laughed and shook her head. "Seems like you three are used to playing around. I wonder what other things I've yet to find out about you all," she said.

"Well. If you both come to the social at the weekend you might just find out a bit more," Aaron said.

Laura looked at Joshua. "What social?"

"There's a big do in Great Falls on Saturday. Should be a fine old time," Zack said.

"Would you like to go, Laura?" Joshua asked. He looked at her, thinking it might be just the thing to take her mind off the troubles she'd been having. It also might give Joshua a chance to show off his wonderful wife to the folks of Great Falls. He could think of nothing finer than to share his good fortune with the many good people he knew there, people who had been an important part of his life these past few years.

"Who's going to be there?" Laura asked.

Joshua shrugged. "Why, I guess just about everyone. Great Falls isn't such a big place."

Joshua thought of the last time Laura had been to Great Falls and realized that the pain of that visit might still be lodged inside her. Maybe she didn't want to show herself in town, didn't want to be the center of attention. He knew he was going to have to work hard to contain the impulse to show his new wife off to everyone he could find. But he knew he had to show some sensitivity in the matter too.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Joshua said.

Aaron and Zack looked at Laura, eyes wide, saying nothing.

Laura looked at Joshua and nodded. "Why not. It sounds like a great idea," she said after a pause.

However, as Joshua reached over and planted a surprise kiss on her cheek, it seemed to him that her smile wasn't entirely convincing.

"You look beautiful," Joshua murmured from his position by the door to Laura's bedroom.

Laura gasped and whirled around from in front of the mirror to look at Joshua. "I didn't know you were there," she said pulling the loose buttons of her gown tight around her neck.

Laura had been checking her appearance in preparation for their trip into Great Falls for the social later that afternoon. She'd picked one of her favorite blue gowns. It was one her mother had told Laura time and again made her look like a lady. She had to agree. It was indeed elegant, made of fine material, cut to fit Laura's delicate figure, with edges decorated with small buttons and lace.

Joshua leaned casually against the door. His eyes were bright with evident admiration. "I've never seen you look so lovely," he said in a soft voice.

Laura felt her face color. "Oh, get away," she said with a dismissive wave of the hand, but the smile on her face gave the lie to how she really felt. It was good to have her husband tell her such things. These past few days, since their time at the river and the visit of his two fellow ranchers, Joshua had hardly missed a chance to pay Laura some compliment or other. It was like he was on a mission to overcome her every objection to life with him on the ranch with a relentless torrent of praise and admiration.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she said looking at his fine suit, waistcoat, clean pressed white shirt and shiny boots. He held his hat in one hand. Her heart skipped a beat when he took one step into the room.

"Why, thank you, Miss," he said with a grin.

She liked it when he was playful. These last days he'd been so much more relaxed in himself, and it had been infectious. Laura was finally beginning to think that maybe life on the ranch with Joshua held promise. Real promise. Maybe this was how long it took for a wife to really settle with her new husband.