Tracie Peterson - [Heirs of Montana 04] (21 page)

Zane listened with only moderate interest to his twin’s tales of adventure while hunting mountain goat. Normally he would have found Morgan’s supper conversation to be refreshing, but things had changed since Mara entered Zane’s life.

“Roosevelt actually managed to bag another two goats before we headed back. He’s really quite a determined man. He’s overcome great adversity, including sickness. He’s struggled with a weak constitution all his life.”

“That must be hard,” Zane muttered. Truth be told, Zane’s mind was absorbed with the fact that he was to be married. He hadn’t even had a chance to tell Morgan yet, and he worried that perhaps the news would be discouraging or depressing for his brother. Still, he had to tell him.

“You might say that my hunt went well too,” Zane finally threw out. “I bagged me a wife.”

Morgan’s forkful of steak stopped midway to his mouth. “You what?”

Zane laughed. “Maybe it would be more accurately said that Mara Lawrence bagged me. We’re to be married.” He sobered and looked hard at Morgan. “I didn’t know how else to tell you. I hope I haven’t … well … you know.”

Morgan ignored this and put down the fork. “When? Where?”

“Virginia City. Before the first of November.”

“That doesn’t give much time for a wedding,” Morgan said, rubbing his bewhiskered chin. “Am I supposed to be there?”

Zane laughed. “I kind of hoped you’d be my best man.”

“I suppose that means I’ll need a bath and a haircut.”

“I’d appreciate that. I think Mara would too.”

“Married,” Morgan muttered. “I can’t believe you’ve gone and gotten yourself caught and hitched.”

“Well, the hitching hasn’t exactly taken place yet, but yeah, I guess I’m pretty well caught.”

“Do you love her?” Morgan questioned, his brows drawing together. “I mean, really love her?”

“I do,” Zane admitted. “She’s all I can think about. I still think I’m too old for her, but the thought of her with any other man makes my blood run cold.”

Morgan drew back and cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, I guess I know how that goes.”

“I’m sorry.” Zane leaned forward. “I didn’t think about what I was saying. I sure didn’t mean—”

“I know you didn’t mean anything by it, Zane. Don’t give it another thought. You should be happy about your marriage to Mara. It’s a good thing, and I’m not sorry about it. I’d have to be a pretty petty fellow to begrudge my brother the same happiness I would have eagerly taken for myself.”

Zane eased back against the ladder-back chair and sighed. “You don’t have to be my best man—not unless you want to. It wasn’t very thoughtful of me to impose that on you.”

Morgan shook his head. “We’re brothers. And besides, I’m doing fine. Trenton and Angelina are happy. That’s all that matters. If the good Lord has another woman for me, she’ll come along in due time. I don’t expect it will happen, but I won’t say no if it does.”

Zane brightened. His brother had always implied before that there was no other woman in the world for him. Zane had actually envisioned his brother growing old and dying alone. “Great. I’m heading back to Virginia City in a week. Will you stick around and go with me?”

“Guess so. It’ll take me that long just to scrub off the dirt and get myself looking respectable.” Morgan touched his hand to his shoulder-length blond hair. “Guess you better point me in the direction of a good barber.”

CHAPTER 15

“Y
OU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
D
IANNE
,” C
ORDELIA
declared to her brother.

Cole had just finished mending one of the harnesses when his sister bounded into the barn. He put the piece aside. “What’s wrong now?”

She shook her gloved finger at Cole. “You should know very well what’s wrong. She’s hateful and mean. She has deeply wounded our mother by her constant threats of returning to Montana.”

“But Cordelia, we are returning to Montana,” he said softly. He watched the expression on his sister’s face change instantly from anger to sorrow.

“You cannot mean it. You simply cannot leave us. Mother has so come to depend upon you, and if you leave it will be the end of her.”

“Oh, come now, Cordelia. Mother isn’t quite that fragile.”

Cordelia bit at her lower lip and looked to the ground. “I didn’t want to say anything, but …” She paused and after a long pregnant silence looked up. “The doctor told me that Mother isn’t well. Her nerves were tested during Father’s illness, and now with you being uncertain about staying …”

He shook his head. “But I’m not uncertain about staying. I’ve already told Dianne we’ll leave in the spring, and that is what I intend to do.”

Despite the fact he was covered in dirt and straw bits, Cordelia took hold of him and embraced him tightly. Cole found it rather remarkable that she would risk her stylish outfit. She usually seemed so completely bound up in worries over fashion and elegance that he was surprised she’d even come out to the barn.

“You aren’t going to change my mind, Cordelia. My home is in Montana. I’ve already promised my wife.”

“Then this is all her fault,” she snapped, practically pushing him backward as she let go of him. “I told you she was mean.”

“Dianne’s just tired and lonely. She’s told me how hard she’s tried to befriend you all and how you snub her. Why would you do that, Delly?”

Cordelia frowned, clearly irritated at the use of her childhood nickname. “I told you not to call me that, and I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s your wife who refuses to act in a decent manner. Haven’t you even noticed that no one at church can bear her company? Why, you haven’t been invited to any of the important parties, and all because of her.”

“I haven’t even been invited to your house, Delly,” he said, emphasizing her name. “You and Laurel both seem to think yourself well above inviting the likes of a Montana rancher and his family into your homes.”

“Well … you must understand,” she began, “it’s your children. I have expensive pieces in the house; so does Laurel. Your boys are not known for their manners. They are constantly breaking things, and it’s a blessing Mother doesn’t have valuable pieces or she’d be sure to lose them.”

“What have the boys broken? I’m happy to replace anything they’ve been responsible for destroying.” He watched his sister as she darted her glance from side to side. It was clear she wasn’t comfortable with giving him examples.

“I cannot say what’s been broken. Mother was the one who spoke about it. I fear it would only further her grief if you were to mention it, however.”

“Still, you brought it up. There must be something of importance there or you would not have wasted your time.”

“Cole, please hear me out. Dianne is manipulating this situation, and when you aren’t around she is vicious and ill tempered. Mother is quite afraid of her.”

He laughed. “Now I know you’re lying. Mother isn’t afraid of anyone.”

“I’m not lying,” she declared, stomping her foot. “When you aren’t around, Dianne is positively horrid. I fear she’ll one day unleash her temper and then we’ll all suffer for it.”

“If she’s that bad, then I should get her out of here—leave and go home to Montana right away before she does someone harm,” Cole began. Cordelia’s face fell and she opened her mouth to speak, but he waved her off. “But you told me you wanted us to stay. Insisted that it was the only way Mother would keep from falling victim to some state of apoplexy. So now I’m completely confused. Are you demanding we stay or go?”

“I’m simply telling you that your wife is unruly and harsh. She needs to learn her place, and you need to put her in it before she hurts someone.”

“Cordelia, I have work to do. I’ll speak with Dianne tonight and see what she has to say about all of this, but honestly, I think I know my wife well enough to realize she isn’t capable of treating Mother with the kind of brutality you’ve described.”

Cordelia gave a loud huff and turned. “You’ll rue the day you didn’t intercede,” she called over her shoulder. “Mark my words. You’ll see.”

Her skirts swept the dirt as she stomped out of the barn.

Cole watched Dianne throughout that evening. She was nothing but gentle and kind to his mother. But could there be some element of truth to Cordelia’s words? He knew Dianne was unhappy, and in the past he had heard her deliver rather harsh words to his mother. But generally speaking, those were in response to his mother’s pointed comments.

By the time they retired for bed, Cole had tossed the subject around in his mind until he was sick to death of it. He felt like Dianne had changed so much since they’d lost the ranch, and yet who could blame her? Her entire way of living—a way she cherished—was gone. She had no chance to recover that loss because he had been unwilling to risk failure. He sighed and added more guilt to his already growing list of inadequacies.

“You were awfully quiet during dinner,” Dianne said as she came into the bedroom.

“I’ve had a lot on my mind. I wouldn’t mind discussing it with you, if you have a moment.”

“Of course,” she replied, appearing surprised that he should suggest such a thing.

Cole knew the days when they’d shared everything in lengthy discourse before retiring for the night were only vague memories. He missed that closeness and wished they could somehow recapture it. Maybe this was the way to start.

“My sister Cordelia came to me today. She was unhappy about the way you treat Mother yet was determined to talk me into staying here. She wants us to drop the idea of leaving in the spring.”

Dianne appeared to wrestle with her thoughts for a moment. She quietly went to the edge of the bed and sat down. “And what did you tell her?”

Cole was surprised that she didn’t offer any argument. He smiled. She truly appeared to be trying hard to keep her temper in line. “I told her we were going home in the spring.” Dianne smiled and looked to her folded hands while Cole continued. “She told me the doctor feared for Mother’s well-being if we left, but I find that hard to believe. Mother is quite healthy, and I see no reason to fear for her life.”

“They are awfully desperate. I suppose it might have something to do with the fact that you now own the farm,” Dianne said softly.

“But they know they have nothing to fear about that. I think they’ve decided how it should be and now they want me to toe the line.”

She shrugged and looked into his eyes. “I don’t understand any of them. They came to me the other day, angry and snarling about how awful I was to try to take you from them.”

“They did that?”

She nodded. “They told me I wasn’t being a good Christian wife because I wasn’t being obedient. They thought to have a battle of Scripture with me until I unloaded a half dozen on them in response.”

He laughed. “I can well imagine. I’ve never known anybody to memorize more Scripture than you.”

“I held my temper. I offered them cookies, then suggested tea … but still, Cole, they were ugly and rude to me.”

“I’m sorry, Dianne. To hear Cordelia and Mother tell it, it’s the other way around. It really puts me in a bad spot.”

“Why don’t you just tell them you’re going to sell the place?” she blurted out. “It’s your farm now. You own it; the lawyer had all the papers put in order. Tell your mother that she needs to go live with her daughters or even with us, although I can’t say I truly desire that be the case.”

“But you would tolerate it in order to get home to Montana, eh?” he asked with a grin.

“I’d let Satan himself take a back bedroom if it meant going home.”

“You don’t mean that,” Cole said, moving to where she sat. He reached out and gently pushed back strands of golden hair. He’d noticed she was starting to get a few gray hairs—no doubt they were the result of living in such disharmony. “I know you better.”

“Well, perhaps I wouldn’t go that far,” she agreed, “but honestly, Cole, you don’t have a great deal of time. Before you know it, it’s going to be time to prepare the fields. I heard Mrs. Meiers at church say they would begin burning off the fields in late February.”

“There’s no reason I can’t help with that. We probably wouldn’t head back home until April, maybe May. After all, most of the passes would be snowed in.”

Dianne frowned. “Cole, that’s a whole lot longer than I figured on. It’s already October. If we don’t return before May, we will have been here almost a year.” Her voice was edged with such sorrow that Cole could hardly bear it.

“Well, maybe we could try for March. Still, I could help with burning off the fields.”

“But why not just sell it now and go home before the heavy winter sets in? If you could find a buyer in the next couple of weeks, we could still get home before the weather turns too bad.”

He nodded. “Maybe I’ll mention it to Mother. If her health truly is bad, then she definitely should be in town closer to the doctor.”

“Exactly,” Dianne said, smiling again.

Dianne had to admit she liked the Kansas autumn. The trees were a riot of color and the days were such a contrast from the balmy warmth of summer. Standing outside now, taking clothes from the line, Dianne felt a peace about her that hadn’t been there in so very long.