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Authors: Emma Lang

Matthew: The Circle Eight (9 page)

BOOK: Matthew: The Circle Eight
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Hannah didn’t let the hurt show on her face after Matt walked away from the wagon. He had dismissed her as if she were just another one of his siblings, no one of consequence or importance. Caleb didn’t say anything as he helped her down. The rest of the Grahams dispersed like a swarm of bees, going every which way. Nicholas at least brought their bags inside the house before disappearing.
That left Granny and her standing on the doorstep of the Graham ranch house. Hannah felt like crying and screaming at the same time. Was this treatment what she must accept for the rest of her life? To be an afterthought, not even warranting the attention of a guest? It was heartbreaking to know she was so unimportant to every Graham, particularly the one she had pledged her life to.
“Are you ready to meet Eva?” Catherine appeared beside them, her gap-toothed grin wide on her pixie face.
Hannah could have cried for the sweetness of the child. Instead she hugged her and took her hand. As natural as could be, Catherine wrapped her hand around Hannah’s.
“I’m ready,” Hannah said.
“Okay, then let me show you everything.” Catherine pointed at the house. “This is our home and our front porch. We live here.”
With a lighter heart, Hannah took her grandmother’s arm and they walked into the house with little Catherine. It had already been a long day, and the most difficult part still awaited them.
The interior of the house smelled of wood and bread. They were comfortable scents, almost welcoming. The front part of the house was a big room with furniture and a rag rug positioned in front of a large fireplace. There were nails in the wood to the left of the door with a few coats hanging on them. Several pairs of muddy boots sat beneath them. At least Eva had them trained to keep dirty shoes out of the house.
The room was obviously where they gathered as a family, with well-worn pillows and an afghan dotting the sofa. She liked this room and all it represented.
“This is the parlor. We have fires over yonder in the fireplace when it’s cold and Matt reads to me at night on the sofa. At Christmas we even sing ’round the fire.” Catherine’s interpretation of everything was so refreshing. She didn’t see the room’s practical functions, but rather the memories of good times she’d had in it.
“It’s lovely.” Hannah smiled at her. “I like it a lot.”
“Me, too.” Catherine tugged at her hand. “Now let’s go to the kitchen. That’s where we eat.”
Hannah heard Granny chuckle as they both walked through a large archway into the very spacious kitchen. Sitting in the middle of it was the biggest table she’d ever seen, a necessity no doubt with a big family like the Grahams.
“This is the table my Pa built.” Catherine pointed to a diminutive woman Hannah hadn’t noticed. “Eva, this is my new sister.”
The woman turned, her dark chocolate eyes assessing and incredibly sharp. This was the person who ran the house. The one Hannah would have to win over or she would never be at home in the house.
Hannah managed to smile. “Hello, Mrs. Vasquez. I’m Hannah.”
There was a pause before the other woman spoke.
“Buenos dias, señora.”
Hannah knew some Spanish but not enough. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”
Eva’s gaze moved to beyond Hannah’s shoulder and her expression changed to surprise. “Martha!”
“Eva Vasquez. How long has it been?” Granny pulled the other woman into a hug. “I can’t believe I had to ride all the way out here to see you again.”
Eva chuckled. “You are still a
mujer loca. ¿Es la señora su nieta?
”
“Yes, she is. Joanna’s girl.” Granny gave Hannah a wink. “She’s been running the boardinghouse for the last five years. Lord knows I ain’t worth a damn anymore.”
“Si, es la verdad.”
Eva turned to Hannah, and after a moment, took her hands. “Welcome to our home.
Bienvenidos.
”
Hannah couldn’t have been happier to feel the small woman’s callused palms against her own. She’d had no idea what to expect at the Graham ranch, and was doubly glad Granny had come with them. Without Granny’s friendship with Eva, she sensed the greeting would have been very different.
Catherine must have grown bored with the adults’ conversation. She stood in the doorway and did a little dance. “Let’s go now. I need to show you the rest of the house.”
“
Hija,
you need to be patient.” Eva didn’t raise her voice, but her tone made the little girl stop fidgeting.
“Yes, ma’am.” The sigh was small but dramatic nonetheless. “May I please show Hannah the rest of the house now?” Catherine twirled her braids around her fingers. “Please?”
“Uno momento, hija.”
Eva squeezed Hannah’s hands. “Come back after your journey with Catarina. We will talk.”
“I’m gonna stay here and chat a spell with Eva. You go on, child.” Granny lowered herself into a chair.
“I look forward to it.” Hannah smiled at Eva. The housekeeper could definitely be a good source of information about her new husband. He certainly didn’t appear to be very forthcoming and had acted as if he didn’t even want her at the ranch. Perhaps his motives were as he said, simply to get a wife so he could secure the land for the ranch. She had hoped for more, much more, but no one could ever know that.
Hannah kissed her grandmother’s forehead, then walked over to Catherine and took her hand.
“Oh good, now I can show you the room you will sleep in. My Mama and Papa used to sleep there, but they went to Heaven to be with Jesus.” Catherine’s tone spoke of much more than a simple seven-year-old’s understanding. “Their bedroom is empty and it makes me sad when I see it.”
She led Hannah to an open door down the hallway, one of five that must lead to other bedrooms. Bright sunshine spilled through a window with white lace curtains hanging on either side. Hannah knew that someone had decorated the room with love. She saw not only the intricate lace curtains, but a beautiful quilt on a bed with a headboard of carved wooden flowers. A chest of drawers sat in one corner, one drawer askew. There was a fresh smell in the air, as if it had been newly cleaned.
Hannah couldn’t have explained it well, but the room made her feel safe. The Grahams had loved each other; she’d understood that right away. They had died together, violently from what she knew. Yet instead of their horrific end, Hannah sensed the good life they had lived.
“Do you like it? It’s an awful big bed.” Catherine climbed up and bounced on it.
“Yes, I like it very much. It’s lovely.” She ran her hand along the tight stitches on the quilt and wondered who had made it. Her first instinct was that Matt’s mother had made it while preparing for her own wedding. The romantic notion made her smile.
“Now let’s see my room.” Catherine jumped down and pulled Hannah from the room.
As she followed the girl around the house, Hannah’s thoughts remained in her new room, and what the night held in store.
C
HAPTER
S
EVEN
 
M
att rode Winston until the horse was lathered and breathing hard. When he finally realized his horse was exhausted, he gentled his movements until he saw the creek up ahead. After he climbed down off the horse, he realized his knees were sore from gripping the saddle.
What the hell was he doing running away and almost killing his horse in the process? Stupid and foolhardy. Something a boy ten years younger would do, not a man who was responsible for almost a dozen people’s lives. He had to remain strong and keep hold of his emotions. Outbursts would not help anything and certainly couldn’t happen again.
He let his horse drink his fill and graze on the sweet grass on the bank. Matt looked east, toward where the house was, and his future. His wife. He needed to talk to someone about how to act around her. It was awkward and downright uncomfortable between them, mostly due to his own behavior.
Knowing he’d been a coward, and angry at himself, Matt threw himself up into Winston’s saddle. He rode back toward the ranch, toward Hannah. He had to find a way to accept his new life and his new wife.
No matter how much he told himself to go into the house, Matt spent an inordinate amount of time rubbing down, then currying Winston. The gelding would have been smiling if he could have.
“Are you hiding?” Nicholas appeared with Javier in the stall doorway. The younger Vasquez was sixteen, the same age as Nick, but he was as big as his brother, Lorenzo. Both Vasquez men were natural horsemen and miracle workers with ornery cattle. Each of them was devoted to their mother, and had the same olive-toned skin, chocolate eyes, and thick black hair.
“Yes.” Matt didn’t think lying to his brother would work, so he just blurted the truth.
“She seems nice.” Nick stepped in and leaned against the wall.
“Yeah, she’s nice. I just ... Hell, I don’t know what to do with a wife.” Even after watching his parents all his life, he found the relationship between them a mystery. He just didn’t understand it.
Javier shook his head, a grin splitting his face. “You don’t know what do with your new
esposa
?”
Matt realized what he’d said, and to his annoyance, felt his cheeks heat. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t know what else to do with her.”
“You could start by talking to her. Maybe even have a meal with her.” Nick snorted at his not-so-funny quips and Javier laughed out loud.
“Both of you get the hell out of here. Don’t you have work to do? Some cattle to take care of?” Matt snapped.
“Nope, we’re done for now. We came back for supper.” Nick turned to leave, still chuckling under his breath.
“Supper?” Matt repeated. It couldn’t possibly be that late, could it?
“It’s five o’clock, Matt. You disappeared six hours ago. I think Eva is ready to kick your ass.” With that Nick and Javier left Matt alone.
It was five in the afternoon? He had been gone half the day, and not only had he left Hannah alone all that time, but he’d spent a second day doing no work around the ranch. Irresponsible didn’t even begin to cover his behavior and no doubt Eva would tan his hide for it, not to mention what Mrs. Dolan would do. And dammit, he was hungry since he’d obviously missed dinner.
He finally left the barn, this time with a bit of speed in his step. Everything appeared to be normal as he walked into the house. Then he heard the laughter.
Hannah.
He’d heard her laugh once before, but nothing like this. The sound was full of joy that echoed around him and through him. Damned if it didn’t make him smile. Whatever had happened while he’d been off on his own must have been better than he’d expected.
He took off his boots and hung up his hat, then headed into the kitchen. Not knowing what to expect, he tread lightly, peering around the corner so they wouldn’t know he was there. Eva and Hannah stood beside each other at the counter. One tall and curvy, the other short and round. One dark, one light. They were a study in opposites, but they appeared to be in harmony.
The kitchen had an air of happiness he hadn’t experienced in months. He wondered if it was Hannah’s presence that had lifted the cloud of doom that had hung over the ranch for so long. When he’d met her in the store one week ago, Matt had had no idea how entwined their lives would become.
Perhaps he was foolish to stay away from her, to be afraid of being married. If Eva liked her, then he knew he’d made a good choice. He trusted the housekeeper implicitly—she’d been a second mother to him for the last fifteen years.
Maybe later he’d get some time with her. No doubt he’d have to endure a dressing down, but he’d also have a chance to talk to her about Hannah. That’s what he should have done when he’d arrived instead of running away. He’d probably feel the repercussions of his behavior for a while.
Mrs. Dolan sat at the table with a cup. She was the first to spot him. “And the prodigal son returns. You’d best get on in here and get it over with. I’m thinking you have some groveling to do.” Hannah’s grandmother was definitely not one to keep a thought to herself.
Hannah and Eva turned to look at him as he walked into the kitchen. One woman was wary, the other most assuredly annoyed. They both had flour all over the aprons they wore and their hands.
“Eva is teaching me how to make tortillas,” Hannah blurted before she turned back to the counter.
Eva shook her head at him, and he felt the force of that stare all the way to his toes. She could embarrass him further by scolding him right then and there. He sure as hell hoped she wouldn’t.
“She is a fast learner.” When Eva finally let her gaze move away from his, Matt took a deep breath. “Go ring the bell and wash up. Supper will be ready in fifteen minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Matt bolted out of the kitchen to ring the dinner bell. No need to tempt fate by giving Eva another opportunity to yell at him. He owed Hannah an apology but he couldn’t seem to form the words. Maybe later when they went to bed, he’d feel more relaxed and be able to speak to her without tripping over his tongue.
 
Hannah hardly saw the tortilla in her hand for the pounding in her head and her heart. Matt had spent hours away from the house, and he didn’t even say a word to her. She managed to swallow the lump of hurt in her throat, but just barely. Eva must have sensed Hannah’s discomfort because she took her hand.
“
No te preocupes, hija.
He does not know yet who he is.”
Hannah didn’t understand the Spanish but she recognized the message just the same. She nodded and managed to make some semblance of a tortilla.
“Why don’t you stir the beans and then set the table. I will finish.” Eva gently turned Hannah toward the stove.
After wiping her hands on a towel, she found the act of making dinner gave her back some normalcy on the strangest day of her life. She set the table for the twelve of them. Mr. Graham obviously knew what he’d been doing when he built a table with benches on either side. The two chairs had been for the parents and Hannah wondered who would sit there during this meal.
Within ten minutes, the Grahams started filing in and sat on the bench, including Matt. He did not meet her gaze, again, as she and Eva put the food on the table. A pot of beans with a bit of meat, tortillas, and pitchers of water comprised the simple fare.
Matt rose from the bench and went to the chair at one end of the table. He finally glanced up at her. His expression was unreadable, but he gestured her toward the chair at the other end. It was a small peace offering, and she was stupidly grateful for it.
“Sit,
hija,
sit.” Eva pulled the chair out for her and helped Hannah sit. It was something a gentleman would do, but she had already realized her new husband wasn’t necessarily trained to act as a gentleman should.
After they all sat, everyone dug in, filling fresh tortillas with beans. Hannah hadn’t had such delicious food before and hoped Eva would show her the secrets of the spices. The flavorful beans danced on her tongue, while at the same time filling her belly quickly.
The family chatted throughout the meal, mostly about things to do with the ranch. Hannah was an observer, not really part of the conversation. No one spoke directly to her and Olivia continued to treat Hannah as a very unwelcome visitor. At least she was safe and warm, and accepted by two members of the family.
Catherine sat beside her, her legs swinging on the bench as she gobbled up her supper. With a bite still in her mouth, she looked at Eva. “May I be excused please?”
“Yes,
hija,
you go wash up and get your schooling books ready.” Eva appeared to be the person who kept everyone on schedule.
“Can I read to Hannah tonight instead of you?” Catherine directed her question at Matt. It surprised both him and Hannah.
“You want to read with her?” Olivia snorted. “We don’t even know if she can read.”
Hannah flinched at the animosity in her sister-in-law’s voice. “I can read. As you know, I went to school until I was seven. Afterward, Granny taught me at home.”
“No need to be like that, Livy.” Matt’s tone was not very firm, even if he said the right words. “Are you sure, Catherine?”
Hannah didn’t know whether he didn’t trust her or whether he was jealous that Catherine had changed their routine. Either way it wasn’t good for such emotions to be between them.
“It’s okay. We can do it another time together, okay?” Hannah wanted to avoid the conflict and try to find a compromise with Matt.
“I don’t want to do it another time.” Catherine pouted her lip. “I want Hannah.” She pointed at Matt. “Besides, you were mean to her today.”
“I was not mean.” Matt’s brows slammed together. “I had chores to do after being away for more than a day.”
“Is that why you went riding on Winston all afternoon?” Nicholas smirked at him.
“If you didn’t want to marry her, you shouldn’t have.” Olivia apparently couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
“Jesus please us, will you all just shut up?” Matt’s face was flushed with anger.
“Don’t use the Lord’s name like that, Mateo.” Eva sounded as mad as he was.
The supper that had started with the fun of making tortillas had turned into a family argument. And Hannah was squarely in the center of it.
“Listen, all of you, Hannah and I are married now, and you all have to accept that. You’re embarrassing me and yourselves in front of her.” He glared at each of them in turn. “This is hard enough without all of you acting like spoiled idiots.”
Hannah could not bear one more second of the arguing. She got to her feet. “I’ll start heating water for the dishes.” The water could never be as hot as her cheeks felt.
Her departure seemed to defuse the situation, because the Grahams were suddenly quiet. All she heard as she pumped water into a bucket was chewing and breathing. Eva appeared at her elbow and touched her shoulder. It was a wordless gesture that meant a lot.
After the pail was nearly full, she picked up the handle and swung it over to the stove. She stoked up the fire and got the blaze glowing bright with a few pokes of a stick. When she turned to get another pail heated, she ran smack into Matt’s chest. He felt as hard as he had the two times she’d touched him before, and her traitorous body reacted with a jolt of pure pleasure.
She stepped back and glanced around, eager to avoid his gaze and his touch. To her surprise, everyone else was gone, and he had apparently been left to clear the plates.
“They don’t normally behave like that.” He set a stack of plates in the sink.
“I don’t know if I believe that.” Hannah wanted to slap her hand across her mouth but it was the truth. “I mean, I think you are all painfully honest with each other.”
He made a face but didn’t disagree with her. “They feel things deeply and this year has been more than hard.” He leaned against the sink. “Once we get the ranch expanded, solve some things and settle down a bit, things will be better.”
BOOK: Matthew: The Circle Eight
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