Page 7 of The Rancher's Bride
“What’s in it for you?” No one did anything without getting something in return.
“I want to watch Flat River flourish with honest, hard-working individuals who have integrity and compassion. I aspire to create a town where my grandchildren can grow up and thrive.” She gave him a little smile. “I enjoy seeing couples fall in love.”
His eyes glanced over at the woman lifting the rabbit pelt off the counter and onto a scale. “As long as you promise me it won’t be anyone who wears an animal on top of her head.”
Marmee chuckled. “I can promise you that. I’ve already matched her. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
“The poor soul,” Ben murmured.
“He doesn’t know it either.” Giving a wave to the shopkeeper’s wife behind the counter, Ingrid took a step forward. “I’ll be in touch. Tell your sister hello, and I’ll pray she feels better soon.”
As Ben waited for his turn to have his supply list filled, he noticed a dark-haired figure standing by a display of colorful pre-made dresses. She was petite and slender, but he couldn’t see her features because of a thick braid covering half her face. Despite that, he could tell by her figure she was a beautiful woman. She reminded him of someone he had seen before, but he couldn’t place her.
She took a dress off the display and held it up to her, swaying side to side as the fabric swished around her legs. She must have sensed him watching her, as she abruptly paused and turned his way. Flipping the braid over her shoulder, she peered at him with warm chestnut eyes outlined by lush, dark fringe. Thecorners of her lips turned up in a slight smile as she hung the dress back on the rack and moved towards a display of women’s toiletries on the counter. She lifted a bottle and took a delicate sniff.
Swallowing hard, Ben recognized the woman. She was one of the trackers who showed up at his ranch when the marshal’s daughter went missing in the field. Ben remembered she was reserved and not very talkative, but he observed her keen tracking ability as they chased after the men who had stolen his horses.
He scoffed at her buckskin pants and long tunic.Did everyone here dress the same?The last time he saw her, she wore a skirt, but now she dressed like the other woman at the counter. At least he should be grateful this woman didn’t have an animal sitting on top of her head. He watched as her fingers reached up to play with the braid she pulled back over her shoulder.
The two women were as different as night and day. Even though they both appeared to be hill people, and wearing clothes made from deer hide, Marmee was right, Petunia needed a bath and to be scrubbed. The other woman had beautiful porcelain skin that was rosy from the cold weather. Her clothes were clean, and she’d brushed her hair before braiding it.
Ben took a moment to stare a little longer. This woman was beautiful. Completely different from the women he had seen in Texas. Even the women that did wear pants didn’t wear them like this woman in front of him.
For some reason, he found himself drawn to her. Shaking his head, he tried to dismiss all thoughts of the woman from his head. Between Tessa and taking care of his small ranch, he had enough to worry about. He didn’t need the added complication of a woman, especially not someone he barely knew. He hadpractically given Marmee permission to find him a helpmate, but now he was regretting it.
As he stepped forward to give his list to Dillon Arden, he couldn’t help but glance at the woman one last time. To his surprise, she was looking back at him with a small smile. He spun away, feeling his cheeks warm with embarrassment.
As Ben watched Dillon tally up his purchase, he couldn’t help but notice Tommy Moore standing at the corner with a frown on his face. Tommy was a local trapper and fur trader who sometimes hunted on Ben’s land. His family had been in Flat River since one of the first wagon trains rolled into the town. Following Tommy’s eyes over to the mountain woman, Ben couldn’t help but chuckle.
Ben didn’t like many people, but he did like Tommy. The woman with the thick braid walked over and whispered something to Tommy before heading to the front of the store. Making her way through the crowd, she passed barrels of apples and crackers and eventually ended up by the register where Ben was standing.
“Pardon me,” she mumbled, accidentally touching his arm as she walked by. Closing his eyes for a moment, he savored the scent of wildflowers and falling rain mixed with soft leather that filled his nostrils.
“Hey, Kendrick.”
Ben opened his eyes to see Tommy had moved up next to the register.
“Tommy.”
“Was thinking I might stop by and put out the beaver traps near the pond over the next week if you are okay with it? With the rain we are getting there might be some flooding.”
“Sure. I’ll let Tessa know in case she sees you out there.”
“Appreciate it.” Tommy’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Petunia again.
Ben turned around to see a man move closer to the uniquely dressed woman and flip the racoon tail. In a flash, Petunia had taken the man by the arm and pushed him to the counter. She leaned closer and hissed in his ear before releasing him. The man nursed his injured arm and made a beeline for the exit, while Petunia resumed weighing her furs as if she hadn’t been interrupted.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Ben mused.
“Yeah,” Tommy shrugged. “Not many people ever seen nobody dressed quite like that, either. I suppose if she can shoot a jackrabbit and skin it, she’s got my respect.”
Ben nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I reckon so.”
“Anything else today?” Dillon asked, tallying up Ben’s purchases.
“I can’t think of anything else. When is the next supply wagon in town?”
Dillon looked at the calendar displayed on the wall. “Should arrive in the next two weeks.”
