A Love of Her Own (7 page)

“Thanks for coming to share in our happiness, Wes.” Josh gripped his hand. “One day it’s going to be your turn.”

“Oh, I doubt that. I’m not the marrying kind.”

“Don’t you mean no one could put up with you?” Josh teased.

“You may be exactly right. Horses are my main focus, and I haven’t found a gal yet who wanted to share in horse training for her future.” He shrugged.

“You never know, Wes. When one falls in love, stranger things can happen,” Juliana said.

“Anyway, I’m looking for a young man who rode up this afternoon when I was training Lars’s mare. Never seen him before, but I think he must have been one of your guests who came in late.”

“You must mean my sister April.” Josh pointed across the room, indicating a woman in a yellow dress.

Wes looked to where he pointed. His jaw dropped. An attractive, slender blonde stood chatting with Miss Margaret and Louise. “No, Josh. It was a young man in a long duster and floppy hat.” There was no way that this was the same person he saw in dirty jeans and a duster, shouting at him earlier!

Josh shook his head. “I’m trying to tell you—it was April, my sister. Come on, I’ll introduce you to her. Excuse us a moment, Jewel.”

“You go ahead. I want to speak with Helen and Cynthia.”

Josh brushed her fingertips with a kiss. “I won’t be long.”

Wes swallowed hard and suddenly found himself being introduced to Josh’s sister. April was exquisitely beautiful, and she held herself in a regal way and looked in complete control of her emotions. She was tall and slender. He liked that. The sunlight streamed through the window and enveloped her profile with its softness, casting glints on her silky blonde hair that lay against the yellow silk gown.

“Sis, I want you to meet my friend Wes Owen.” Josh touched April on the arm.

April half turned, revealing her creamy white shoulders and slender neck, then slowly lifted her eyes to meet Wes’s. For a moment he felt like he had been kicked in the chest just by the depth of them. She had clear blue eyes with large irises that gave him a cool look, unnerving him somehow.

He heard himself mumble a greeting, but instantly he felt awkward and out of place. She was a well-bred lady. He could tell, not that it made any difference to him. Was she really the same woman he’d seen dressed in pants earlier? He hadn’t exactly cottoned to her interjecting herself into his horse wrangling. He thought it very odd that she dressed the way she did, riding up on her horse without a saddle. She was definitely out of the ordinary—and out of his realm.

“Hello.” April lifted her hand to touch his in a brief handshake, then quickly dropped her hand to her side. She glanced at Josh. “I believe we already met this afternoon.”

“That’s a fact, Miss April,” he stuttered, feeling like his tongue was as thick as the hide on his horse’s back. He hurriedly regained his composure. “I’d like to give you this.” Wes handed her the small drawstring bag of cash. “As I said before, the horse is
not
for sale.”

“You can’t be serious. That’s a great deal of money there. I’m sure more than that wild horse is worth.”

They had forgotten that Josh and Margaret were still there and continued on.

“I’m as serious as the blush on your cheeks. The horse belongs to the blacksmith.”

April harrumphed. “If you knew anything at all about horses, you wouldn’t have been so harsh with the mare.”

Wes felt his face go red, and the collar of his shirt suddenly made his neck itch. He turned to Josh, who didn’t seem to know quite what to make of their exchange. Wes needed to be careful. This was his sister. “Josh”—he nodded to him—“I think your sister doesn’t know that I make my living training horses for some of the best ranchers around.”

“He sure does, April, and he’s known in these parts as one of the best.”

“Exactly as I thought—your reputation precedes you.” April hitched an eyebrow upward.

“Wes, I believe you’ve met your match. I need to tell you, April has a way with horses—I’m not sure what my father would do without her. But I’ll let you get to know each other. I’m going to find my bride. I’ve been away from her too long already!” He clapped Wes on the shoulder, nodded to Miss Margaret, and hurried away.

The two stood sizing each other up. Finally Wes spoke. “Maybe we should start over. If you’re in the market for a horse, I have several at my place that you can come look over.”

“I would hardly do that. I’m just here for a couple of weeks. I can borrow one of Josh’s horses.”

“Uh . . . don’t think so. He only has one, and Juliana would not part with her horse for anyone.”

“Surely Josh has more than one horse?”

“I’m telling you straight. He’s a sheepherder now, not a cattleman.” Wes let that sink in for a moment.

“Sheep . . . those disgusting little creatures. How he got into that I’ll never understand.”

“You can make a good living out of sheepherding,” Wes said.

“Well, it’s not being a cattleman, now is it?”

“Ma’am, around here they both count.” Wes had lived in Montana all his life and knew that in the beginning of sheepherding, there had been a lot of animosity between ranchers and sheepherders. But eventually the ranchers had to admit there was a lot of money in sheepherding, and Montana had quickly risen as one of the main centers of sheepherding in the country.

Miss Margaret cleared her throat. Again they’d forgotten she was still there, all eyes and ears. “Wes, perhaps you could bring April over to the boardinghouse after the reception. She can have Juliana’s old room,” she said with a smile.

April tossed her hair off her shoulders. “No need for that. I can find my way, and I don’t have my luggage yet.”

Wes felt relief. He didn’t want to have anything to do with someone as high-strung and egotistical as she. He stood with one hand resting on his hip and tilted his head, pretending to watch the dancers, but out of the corner of his eye he observed April turn down several invitations to dance. He certainly wasn’t about to ask her. In fact, he was just about to go look for Natalie when she walked up to Margaret.

“Mother, are you holding up okay?” Natalie asked, touching her mother’s sleeve.

Miss Margaret peered at her daughter through the tops of her wire spectacles and laughed. “Not to worry, dear. I’m feeling just fine. I can always rest, but I can’t always be around gaiety such as this.”

Natalie turned to April with a friendly look. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

April gave her a curious look. “You have? All good, I hope.”

“Yes, of course. I hope we can become better acquainted.”

“There will be plenty of time for us to do that before my brother returns from his honeymoon.”

Miss Margaret shifted her gaze from April to Natalie. “April will be staying with us in Juliana’s old room. Won’t that be nice?”

“Oh . . . I’m glad that Louise and I spent this morning cleaning. Juliana had her things moved to Josh’s house before the wedding—”

“Thank you, but I won’t be with you long,” April said. “I’ll be moving to the Stockton Hotel as early as tomorrow. I’m more suited to a staff.”

“I see,” Natalie said, and shot her mother a quizzical look.

From the look on her face, Margaret didn’t let on that it mattered to her one way or the other. Wes didn’t know the old lady very well, but it was apparent to him, from the few times he’d gone to church, that she adored Juliana.

Wes, sensing the awkwardness of the conversation, approached Natalie for a dance. Sweeping his hat off, he took a deep breath. “Miss Natalie, would you care to have a whirl on the dance floor?” He tossed his hat back and forth from one hand to the other. Josh had reminded him to take his hat off on certain occasions, which was something he usually didn’t do except when he bathed or went to bed.

“Why . . . uh . . . sure. I’d like that,” she said with surprise, then turned to the others. “Will you excuse us?” She slipped her arm in the crook of Wes’s elbow.

The tune was a waltz, and Wes stumbled his way through it, trying to move with the music, but he felt like he had grown two left feet since he took to the dance floor. He felt about as comfortable as a fly in a bowl of milk . . . drowning.

“Ouch!” Natalie yelped. “That was my foot, or what’s left of it!”

Wes pulled away but still held her hands in his sweaty palms. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?” He wanted to sink into the floor and hoped April wasn’t watching with her dignified nose in the air. Somehow he knew she thought him uncouth. He wasn’t exactly sure how he knew, other than the way she looked at him, and now he could probably say Natalie thought that as well.

Natalie squeezed his hand. “My goodness! Don’t take it so hard, Wes. I’m not the best dancer in the world either.” Her brown eyes flashed up at him.

Wes laughed. “Maybe we should just go have some cake and punch instead. That way I can’t land on your feet.”

Natalie slowed her steps. “Fine with me. Why don’t you lead the way.”

As he directed her toward the refreshments, he thought to himself that this was going even better than he thought. He had a pretty lady on his arm, and having become acquainted with Josh and the reverend, he didn’t feel too out of place. Now if he could just learn the waltz . . .

A half hour later, the music stopped, and Louise clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. She looked over the crowd. “Friends and family, it’s time to say good-bye to the happy couple. Be sure and pick up small packets of rice by the vestibule door, and then wait outside until we see them come out.”

People started moving to the front of the church, talking with excitement about the bride and groom, then formed a line on either side of the church steps. As they waited, the sun sank to the edge of the horizon, its waning light casting shadows through the trees scattered about the churchyard. The wind blew lightly, giving April a chill.

She noticed a young girl in a wheelchair along with a woman, probably the girl’s mother, standing at the top of the stairs waiting for someone to help bring the girl down. To her surprise, Wes, spurs jingling, strode over and lifted the girl out of the chair into his arms, then carried her down the stairs. He waited as the reverend carried the wheelchair and deposited it on the ground, and the girl gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. His face mirrored surprise, leaving April to speculate that he must not know her very well. She wondered why the little girl was crippled and felt a momentary pang of sadness for her. The girl’s mother, a retiring redhead, fussed over her and straightened her dress after Wes sat her in the chair.

“Did you pick up your rice?” Miss Margaret asked, coming to stand next to her.

“Yes, ma’am. I wonder what’s taking them so long.” April began to untie the ribbon wrapped around the net material. “It’s been a very long day. I think I could go to sleep in a heartbeat.”

“You poor thing. You can do just that when we get you to my place. You can sleep late, and no one will disturb you in the morning.”

April sighed. “Sounds heavenly. The stagecoach ride was a rough one, and I’m not anxious to repeat it soon.”

“I’m sure Morgan did the best he could to accommodate his passengers. He’s a very considerate man and well respected in Lewistown.”

“You know the coach driver?” One of April’s eyebrows shot up. “You seem surprised.”

“Well, yes, I am. I’ve never really been around black people much, and I’m not sure what I think.”

Margaret shook her head. “Well then, you have much to learn.”

“I beg your pardon? I don’t believe I need to be educated about whom to be friends with.” Who did this old lady think she was?

“Excuse me, April. I didn’t mean to imply that anyone could pick your friends. It’s just that sometimes you may be surprised by who your friends are.”

Loud cheering rose from the crowd when Josh and Juliana appeared at the top step. They skipped down the stairs, holding their hands up to ward off the rice that pelted their heads but laughing the entire time. April laughed with everyone else, and Josh gave her a brief hug before assisting Juliana into the waiting carriage decorated with flowers, ribbons, and a sign saying Just Married on the back. Waving furiously to the crowd, the couple was soon rumbling down the drive to begin their honeymoon.

5

“Here’s your room, April,” Natalie said, taking her key out of the lock and swinging the door wide. She allowed April to enter first, as if waiting for her reaction to the toile furnishings.

“Mmm . . .” was all April said through pursed lips.

“Is there something wrong with the room?”

April tossed her handbag on the bed, looking around. She waved her hand. “It’ll do, Natalie. It’s just a little too frilly for my taste. I prefer simpler decor.”

Natalie placed April’s satchel next to the dressing table, then reached over to close the open window that she’d left cracked an inch for fresh air. “If you’d like, I can move you to another room across the hallway.” Natalie forced a smile.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll move to the Stockton Hotel tomorrow, I’m sure.”

April sank down in the plush toile boudoir chair and bent to remove her shoes. “How anyone wears these miserable tight heels all day over a pair of broken-in riding boots is beyond me.”