Page 166 of Conveniently Wed
“Can’t say as I could pass up an offer like that.” He pulled out a chair at the table and collapsed into it. “Where’s Gideon and the li’l gal?”
Leah filled his mug. “They’re branding today.” She tried to say it as if branding were the most natural thing in the world, spoken in all the society parties in Richmond—not something she’d heard of for the first time that morning. “I expect them back around dark, but I hope you’ll stay until they get here. I know they’ll want to see you.” And the thought of being left alone brought a wave of panic.
“Wouldn’t dream of missin’ em.” He leaned back in his chair, cradling the warm cup in both hands. “You sure are a sight fer sore eyes, Miz Townsend. When I left here a few weeks ago, I weren’t sure you’d be stayin’ longer than it’d take ya to hike out. Meant to come back through in a couple days, but ol’ Slip come down with the fever an’ I had to git him to Helena lickety-split. I didn’t want you takin’ ill, neither.”
A sober expression took over his face. “I hope it ain’t been a hardship for ya to stay. The Bryants is good folk or I wouldn’ta left you so long.”
His concern eased some of the tension in her shoulders. “It’s not been a hardship at all…except for this little episode today.”
“I’m awful sorry.” His face took on such a grandfatherly warmth she wanted to crawl into his lap.
It took the rest of the afternoon, but Leah’s nerves finally settled from the incident with the drifter. He was safely tied to Ol’ Mose’s wagon wheel in the barn, where he would stay until her friend drove him to the sheriff’s office in Butte City the next morning.
While she finished final preparations for the evening meal, she listened for Gideon and Miriam’s arrival. She had to catch them before they made it to the barn and saw the man tied to the wagon. But the sound of boots thumping on the front porch was her first alert of the Bryants’ return.
Leah stood at the cook stove and Ol’ Mose sat at the table when the cabin door flung open. Gideon stood in the doorway, his hand clasping Miriam’s elbow, while she peered around his large frame. His eyes scanned the room, stopping briefly on the old freighter, but finally settling on Leah.
“What’s going on here?” Gideon growled the question.
She met his gaze with a calm that surprised her. “We had a visitor today. But Ol’ Mose was nice enough to stop by and help me with him. I’m assuming you met in the barn?”
“Who is he?” Gideon directed this question to Ol’ Mose, his voice still a growl. He kept his grip on Miriam’s arm, as though he wouldn’t release her until he knew every detail about the situation.
“Some ol’ varmint that stopped in fer a meal. Yer Miz Townsend had him prayin’ fer mercy by the time I showed up, though. A feisty one, she is. No need to worry none ‘bout her.” His face split into the toothy grin she’d come to love.
Gideon stepped into the cabin then and released Miriam’s arm. His face still held a wary look, like he was expecting a bobcat to spring from the loft or a man with a rifle to jump from the bedroom.
“Come on in and have a seat. Supper’s nice and warm for you.” Leah infused her voice with calm and the sweet Southern drawl she’d spent years perfecting.
“Sounds good to me.” Miriam headed for the stove. “I’ll pour the coffee.”
The table that night saw the liveliest conversation it had witnessed in many moons. Gideon’s shoulders finally relaxed, and Leah’s cheeks began to ache halfway through the meal from her continuous laughter at Ol’ Mose’s tales. He was a master storyteller to be sure, describing even the most commonplace account in a way that kept them on the edge of their hard oak seats.
“Did ya hear about Cap’n La Barge bein’ arrested?”
A gasp escaped her at the familiar name. “What happened?”
Ol’ Mose’s face took on an I-knew-it-would-happen look. “He got caught sellin’ whiskey to the Indians. Seems he brought a bunch o’ the stuff on the boat you were on, Miz Townsend.”
Leah’s chest tightened at the news. “But he seemed like a respectable man.”
Ol’ Mose shrugged. “He’s a business man. Prob’ly thought he’d found a way to earn some extra dollars. That reminds me of the time ol’ Joe Meek was tryin’ to save his woman from the Crow.” And he was off on another of his wild stories.
A soft chuckle even came from Gideon’s direction a few times through the evening. Especially when Ol’ Mose told about the time he’d been traveling with a man named Marsh who continually bragged about his skills as a horseman. “We passed through a bit o’ prickly pear an’ a sticker musta got under the tail of Marsh’s horse. Afore you could say ron-de-vu’, Marsh waslayin’ spread out on top of a whole bed o’ those prickles. It took us more’n a bit to git him out.”
After adding his own grin to the general laughter that followed, Mose leaned forward to shove the last of his cinnamon roll through his whiskers. After swallowing the bite and licking his lips, he leaned back in his chair. “Miz Townsend, I do believe you’re becomin’ quite the cook. These sweet rolls are better’n I’ve tasted in a month o’ Wednesdays.”
Heat flooded her face, but she managed a “thank you.”
“Are you plannin’ to stick around these parts then?” He jutted his chin toward the crutch leaning against the table. “Once yer healed up, that is.”
“No, sir.” She kept her voice strong. She didn’t want Miriam and Gideon to think she planned to sponge off of them indefinitely. “I’ll be moving to Helena to find work as soon as my leg is healed.”
A soft chuckle floated from the man. “Seems to me, ya won’t be workin’ long. Those young bucks in Helena ain’t gonna let a pretty li’l gal like you go unmarried.” He gave Gideon’s forearm a friendly shove. “I’ll bet any red-blooded man in that town’d give his eye teeth to get a bride purty as her who can cook suppers like this.” He waved a hand around the dirty dishes on the table.
Determination surged through her. “Sir, I can assure you, I amnotplanning to marry any time soon. All the men in Helena may rest assured their eye teeth will remain securely within their possession.”
Silence met her declaration. Even Miriam’s wide green eyes revealed shock. Leah kept her shoulders squared, though, and her chin raised. She meant every word.
