The Rancher (8 page)

Laurel stared at Alexandra and
the first answer to pop into her head was, yes. She shook her head
and said, "No," instead. "I have no desire to court anyone so rest
assured, you'll not have to worry about me being any part of your
life other than the few hours you spend in my classroom."

Alexandra stared at her for long
minutes, nodding her head after finding Laurel's answer sufficient.
"Good, cause you're all wrong for my pa. He needs a woman who isn't
mean. My ma was as sweet as a flower and my pa loved her with all
his heart. Why, I think that's why he ain't never remarried. He
can't find another woman as pretty and sweet as she was."

"You're probably right."

Alexandra gave her one last look
and took off running toward the wagons. Another was coming across
the prairie and Laurel watched the man and woman in the seat while
Alexandra's words rattled around in her head.

The girl didn't like her, which
was obvious, but knowing Holden had never courted since his wife's
death was intriguing. She couldn’t help but wonder why. Had he
without Alexandra's knowledge?

She thought back to the night
they shared in Missoula, to the attention he showed her. How…
devoted he'd seemed to the task of making love to her. Now that she
thought about it, it did seem as if he'd been determined to make it
last. Had she been the first woman he'd bedded in a while? The
thought caused a shiver to race up her spine.

The wagon she'd been watching
came to a stop, the man at the reins hopping to the ground before
turning to help the woman and child down. He turned to face her and
Laurel's breath caught. She blinked twice, widening her eyes to
make sure she was seeing what she thought she was.

The man looked exactly like
Holden.

She turned and found Holden near
the creek, smiling at something the man in the first wagon said and
she looked back and forth between the two men for long minutes
before the woman she'd met at the festival, Abigail, joined her.
Laurel opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"They're twins." Abigail's light
laughter caught on the breeze and Laurel exhaled the breath she'd
been holding. "It's a bit shocking the first time you see them but
it's easy to tell them apart once they're side by side." She
grabbed Laurel's arm, turning her attention to where Holden and the
other man stood. "That's Morgan, Holden's oldest brother and my
husband." She turned them back to Holden's twin and the woman. "And
that's Colton, but everyone calls him Colt. His wife is Sarah and
that's their daughter, Emma. She's one and Sarah is expecting
another come spring."

Laurel turned to face Abigail
and wondered what Holden had told his family about her. Meeting
Abigail at the festival and having her rescue her from Edna seemed
a bit pre-planned now that she thought about it. She narrowed her
eyes and asked. "Holden's told you about me?"

Abigail looked surprised.
"Nothing other than you're the new school teacher." She laughed
suddenly. "The look on his face when he talks about you made it
obvious to us all that he likes you. Which is why we insisted he
invite you our picnic. I've never seen the man blush but he did
today."

Her giggles were constant and
Laurel wondered why Holden's reaction was so comical. She had an
uneasy feeling, wondering if she was the butt of their jokes and
mortification burned in her chest.

When Abigail turned to look at
her, her smile vanished. "I've upset you. What did I say?"

"Nothing."

"I did, I can tell by the look
on your face." Abigail turned to look back at the men where they
were spreading blankets and placing the baskets she assumed
contained the food. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you
uncomfortable. It's just that I've known Holden for nearly two
years and this is the first time I've ever seen him the slightest
bit interested in a woman. According to his brothers, he's lived
like a hermit since his wife Maggie died.

Laurel's face burned from
embarrassment but hearing Abigail say she wasn't making fun of her
caused the ache to subside. "That's what Alexandra told me, too,
but I wasn't sure if she was correct or not."

Abigail smiled at her and looped
her arm through Laurel's. "I'm sorry if I upset you but please,
come join us. I know Sarah is dying to meet you and when Tristan
and Emmaline get back from Idaho, they'll have questions we can't
answer." She paused and grinned. "Tristan is Holden's baby brother
and Emmaline is his wife. You'll get a chance to meet them soon,
I'm sure."

"Are there anymore family
members I should know about?"

Abigail shook her head. "No. No
one other than their father, James, but he doesn't talk much. Well,
he talks to Sarah but we think that's because she favors their
mother. There's just the four brother's and all their wives." She
quirked an eyebrow up at Laurel. "And adding one more to the family
wouldn't be frowned upon."

Laurel's heart kicked in her
chest. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that isn't going to
happen. Well, not with me."

"So sure already? But you don't
even know Holden."

I know enough, Laurel thought,
but kept the knowledge to herself.

Abigail escorted her to where
the others had gathered and Laurel tried, and failed, to not look
at Holden. Just seeing him there in the shade of the trees, with
shafts of sunlight breaking through the branches caused her pulse
to race. He was so handsome and the way he looked at her caused
very unladylike notions to fill her head. If things weren't as they
were, she'd happily let that man court her and hope for the best
but the happily ever after she'd read about in dime novels wasn't
in her future. She'd already tried and had failed miserably.

The men wandered off, leaving
the women to set out all the food and when Sarah pulled a familiar
looking pie plate from her basket, Laurel's heart skipped a
beat.

"Do you want to know what Holden
gave for your pie?"

Heat crawled up Laurels neck and
settled on her cheeks. "He bought my pie?"

"Just barely." Sarah laughed as
she set it on the blanket. "For a minute there, I thought Joseph,
the hotel owner, would win but Holden wasn't leaving without that
pie. It fetched more money than any other dessert on the entire
table!"

"Edna wasn't pleased by that bit
of knowledge either," Abigail said, laughing.

Their laughter was mingled with
good-natured ribbing and they talked quietly as they removed the
food from the baskets. Laurel had a hard time keeping her attention
on the conversation, and away from Holden, and was glad of the
distraction the women's daughters made. Her heart broke when
Elizabeth, Abigail's daughter had climbed into her lap and started
babbling, telling her in her own special language about the doll
she held. She smiled, listened to Elizabeth chatter and hoped her
face didn't show her despair.

Looking up after long minutes of
holding Elizabeth, she knew it did. The look on Holden's face told
her so. She looked away and hoped the day would end quickly. The
faster she got away from Holden and his family, the better off
she'd be.

* * * *

Laurel had been sitting on the
creek bank avoiding most everyone for the past hour and Holden
wondered what she was thinking about so intently as he crossed the
space to where she sat. She'd looked uncomfortable since coming to
join the others, especially when she held Elizabeth. He wasn't sure
why, though, and he wanted to know.

He stopped when he reached her,
sat down and lifted his hat, combing a hand through his hair before
laying the hat beside him. "You don't look as if you're enjoying
yourself."

"And what gives you that
impression?"

Holden smiled and picked up a
blade of grass before tucking it between his lips. "If you want to
go back to town, I'll take you. There's no reason for you to be
miserable."

"I'm not miserable." She sighed,
her shoulders slumping before she turned her head to look at him.
"I'm sorry. I've not been very good company."

He shrugged one shoulder. "I
didn't expect you to even come so I can't complain. Just having you
here is enough."

She sighed again and he turned
to look at her. Her hair was falling around her face and he lifted
his hand, pushing the strands back behind her ear. "Why are you
being so ornery towards me? Towards everyone in town?"

"What makes you think I'm not
always like this?"

He grinned. "Because despite you
not wanting to admit it, I spent nearly twelve hours with you and I
know better."

"Maybe me being nice was all an
act."

Her face held no hint of
amusement but her eyes did. Holden leaned back on one arm,
straightened his legs, crossing them at the ankle and turned his
body slightly toward her. "It wasn't an act. You're just too
stubborn to admit that you actually like me."

She snorted, unladylike and
shook her head. "You think too highly of yourself, Holden Avery.
The truth is, I drank too much and let my lowered inhibitions get
the better of me. Had I been sober, I would have never allowed you
into my room."

When she glanced at him, he
grinned. "I recall you inviting me to your room then promised me
things no 'lady' would dare mention once I got there." Her cheeks
turned a becoming shade of pink and when she tried to look away, he
reached out and took hold of her chin. "I'm not asking for much,
Laurel, just a chance to get to know you better. That's all."

"I distinctly remember you
mentioning marriage."

His smile widened. Marriage was
what he wanted. "What's so wrong with that?"

"I could name half a dozen
things but I'll spare you. I can't give you what you want, Holden.
I can be your friend if you wish but that's all."

Disappointment settled like a
rock in his gut. "Why?"

She opened her mouth as if to
answer but shut it and turned her head.

"Laurel…"

"I don't need a man in my life
nor do I want one. Ever." She turned back to face him, her eyes
taking on a slight glassy look. "I'm sorry, Holden, but I can't
give you anything other than what you already have."

She stood and left him sitting
there under the shade trees with more questions than he had
answers. His thoughts of courting her all proper like, shriveled in
an instant. He blew out a frustrated breath, bent one leg and
propped his arm on his knee, and stared at the water trickling by.
Something wasn't right where Laurel was concerned and her refusal
to be civil to people made that more apparent.

The distant sound of thunder
made him to look up. Clouds were rolling in over the mountain and
the promise of rain was hard to ignore. He'd had plans to woo
Laurel under a Montana sky but it looked as if nature itself was
conspiring against him. Maybe it was a sign. Laurel apparently
didn't want anything to do with him so why did he even bother
trying?

He turned to look over at her
where she sat with Abigail and Sarah. His pulse leaped again when
she turned those smoky eyes on him and he knew. He wanted her more
now than he did the night he first met her and he wouldn't stop
trying to win her over. Even if the approaching storm called off
the dance, and put an end to all his plans, he'd find a way to get
through to her. He'd waited too long to find her to let her go
now.

Chapter Six

"Where are you going all gussied
up?"

Holden grinned at Alex and
dusted off his hat before placing it on his head. "Going into
town."

She gave him a long look from
head to toe before her eyes widened. "You ain't going to see those
ladies in the saloon are ya?" She crossed her arms over her chest
and lifted her chin. "You promised me you wouldn't ever go see
those hussies, pa, and I expect you to do as you say."

Holden laughed and leaned down
to place a kiss on top of her head. "I'm not going to the saloon
and remind me to tell your Aunt Sarah not every woman in the saloon
is of ill repute."

She snorted. "Aunt Sarah says
they jump on men the minute they walk in the door. That's why Uncle
Colt ain't allowed in there anymore."

"Is that so?"

"Yep. Aunt Sarah says no decent
man should be in there courting those type of women."

"Well, you've nothing to worry
about. I have no intentions of courting those women." He left his
room and headed for the stairs, Alex hot on his heels.

"Why you going into town all
dressed up then?" She gasped suddenly, her eyes widening again and
a horrified look crossed her face. "Pa, don't you dare go see
her!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "See
who?"

"That devil woman." She ran to
him, grabbed his arm, and made him stop walking. "She don't like
you, remember? She don't like anyone and going to talk to her will
just make you cranky like it always does. Stay home with me. We can
saddle my pony and your black and go for a ride."

Holden smiled, peering down at
her before stooping to be eye level with her. "That sounds like a
fine idea." Her pleased smile nearly did him in. "But not
today."