Montana Bound: A Sweet Mail Order Bride Historical (Mail Order Bride Journeys Book 2) (4 page)

CHAPTER 4

October 3, 1896

Grace cleared the table of the dishes they had just finished using for breakfast, while Constance began packing some stuff to take with them that they could eat for lunch. Though still groggy after waking up extra early to prepare breakfast, Grace was happy that she would be there helping while Owen built stands for the festival. Even if she ended up not being able to work side-by-side with him, she would still see him off and on all day, she was sure. And he did agree to meet Grace and Constance for lunch, which meant they would at least spend some time together.

“Remind me again why we had to get up before the rooster crows.” Grace yawned, bringing a laugh from Owen.

“Oh, stop your complaining. You’re just upset because it was your turn to get up earlier to make breakfast.” Owen teased her, and then taking a deep breath he added, “I feel great! I am going to go outside and get the wagon ready. I’ll meet you out front.

Always so eager to face the day.
Grace thought, as she watched Owen walk out the front door, whistling as he did. He was so different than she was. She had never been a morning person and usually took longer than most to wake up all the way. While she would have been content to relax and nurse a coffee while she woke up, Owen was normally already wide awake when he emerged from the loft, and eager to get started on his daily labors.

It didn’t take too long to finish cleaning up from breakfast, and as Constance had finished packing lunch about the same time, both women walked outside together to join Owen. Grace was not surprised to find Owen waiting out front, already finished getting the wagon all ready and pulling it out front of the house. She was surprised to find him relaxing in the seat, his feet resting on the front edge of the wagon.

“Don’t fall asleep, or you’ll miss the sun peaking over the horizon.” Grace teased.

Owen nearly fell over backwards, not having heard the women emerging from the house. It was a comical sight, and caused both women to laugh at Owen’s expense. Feigning outrage, Owen spit the piece of straw that he had been chewing on to the ground and sat up straight in his seat. “Look who’s talking. Before you moved in with us, the closest you ever came to seeing a sunrise was a painting that you saw as a child.”

“Actually, you probably don’t know how close to true that statement is.” Grace laughed. “I’ve never been one to crawl out of bed too early.”

She followed Constance to the other side of the wagon, as Owen hopped down to help them to their seats. Owen helped Constance up first, much to Grace’s chagrin, as she had hoped that she would be seated in the middle next to Owen.

It was different heading to town that early in the morning. The noises that the wagon made seemed so much louder in the quietness of the morning. A few of the songbirds had already awakened and were beginning to fill the air with their beautiful songs, but there was little else breaking the silence. It was a bit on the chilly side, and Grace was thankful that she had bundled up a bit more than usual, because even though the air was still, without the sun to warm them she would have probably been quite cold by the time they arrived in town.

The festival was sponsored by the church, and as such, was held on the church grounds. As they approached, Grace could see a few people already milling about, working on one project or another. Owen parked the wagon between two others, and everyone hopped out. As Owen set out some hay for the horses, they were approached by a woman, whose bubbly personality immediately warmed Grace up to her.

“Good morning, Owen! Good morning, Constance!” The woman said as she got closer. Approaching Grace with her arms spread wide, she gave her a quick hug and then kissed both cheeks. “You must be the young lady that Owen told me about.”

“Mrs. Metzger, this is Miss Grace Russell.” Owen said, placing a hand on Grace’s shoulder. “She is staying with us for the time being, while she gets herself settled in Montana.”

“Welcome! Welcome! We are so happy to have you here.” Mrs. Metzger said, hugging Grace again. “Thank you so much for helping set up today.”

“It’s my pleasure to help out, and I’m so pleased to meet you.” Grace answered, feeling already that she had made a new friend. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll get started.”

“Such a spit-fire.” Mrs. Metzger said, and then looking Grace over as if she was sizing her up, she added, “Do you think you could help me hang the banners, and streamers? That way we could get to know each other better too.”

“That sounds good to me.” Grace said.

“Good. Constance, if you don’t mind, could you maybe help set up tables and chairs? And Owen, you’ll find the stands already set out where they need to be assembled. Mr. Paxton is already working on one, you could work with him.” Mrs. Metzger said, clearly comfortable in her role as facilitator.

Owen and Constance took off immediately to begin their tasks, and Mrs. Metzger led Grace over to some boxes that contained the banners, along with streamers and other decorations. Grace was thrilled that she had been asked to help with the decorating. It was something that she always enjoyed doing. As a little girl, it was always something she looked forward to helping with for the holidays and birthdays.

She was also glad that the vantage point from where she was working allowed her to be able to see Owen, as he worked on the stands. She didn’t know how long the other man had been working before Owen arrived, but he had made little progress on the first one. Well meaning, though she was sure he was, he did not seem to have as strong of an aptitude for that type of work as Owen did, and seemed very happy to follow Owen’s lead. Grace watched as Owen took over the project, and instructed the other man on what he needed to do.
Such a strong leader.
She thought. She imagined Owen providing that same type of leadership to his sons,
their sons.

Mrs. Metzger seemed to almost read her mind. “He definitely is a handsome man. Isn’t he?”

“Huh? Who?” Grace said, embarrassed.

“Don’t play coy with me.” Mrs. Metzger grinned as she spoke. “I may be a happily married woman, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t recognize a handsome man when I see one. And I’ve noticed you noticing Mr. Miller.”

Grace was embarrassed at being caught, but Mrs. Metzger really didn’t seem to judge her at all. To the contrary, Grace could tell that Mrs. Metzger enjoyed teasing her a bit, but it was all in good fun. “Alright, you have me.” She admitted. “I doubt there is a single girl around here that hasn’t noticed how handsome he is.”

“There are a lot more single men in these parts, than there are single girls. But you are right, it would be hard for any of them not to have noticed him. Mr. Miller is not only one of the more handsome men out here, but he is also a very honorable man. That is a quality that many of the men that move out here don’t share, and one that
should
be very prized by women.” Mrs. Metzger said.

Grace knew that it was true. It didn’t take long to discover how that he was a very sincere, honest man. His reputation was his badge, and he wore it proudly. He did have a quick temper, but even that he was not proud of, and worked hard to overcome.

“Why is it that you think he hasn’t married yet?” Grace couldn’t believe she was asking the question, but Mrs. Metzger did have a way of making her feel completely comfortable around her. “I would think that every eligible girl would have done their best to get his attention after he arrived.”

“Well, there are not that many eligible girls that live out here. I have to agree though, that I’m surprised that he hasn’t married anyone though.” Mrs. Metzger said, as she tied off a streamer onto a rafter of one of the finished stands. “He’d be a great catch for anyone. I did hear a rumor that he has a girl back east though. I’ve no idea if there is any truth to that.”

Grace felt her heart sink.
Owen has a girlfriend?
She couldn’t believe the words that she had just heard from Mrs. Metzger’s mouth. Surely it wasn’t true. It must be just rumor, probably started by some broken-hearted girl that Owen had passed on the opportunity to court. He had never mentioned a girlfriend to her before, in all the long conversations that they had. Surely it couldn’t be true.
He wouldn’t hide something like this from me.

Mrs. Metzger must have recognized the shock on Grace’s face. “It’s probably not even true. I just heard some of the other ladies talking about it, and you know how that can go sometimes. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not like me to gossip.”

“It’s okay. I mean, he and I are not involved with each other in any way.” Grace said, her heart dropping even more as she heard her own words emerge from her mouth.
It’s true. We’re not.
She thought.
Maybe that is why he hasn’t expressed an interest in courting me.

They didn’t get to continue the conversation, as Mrs. Metzger had to excuse herself to meet someone else that had just shown up to help with the preparations. Grace would rather that Mrs. Metzger had not had to leave, because now she was left to the mercy of her own thoughts, and she could not shake the thoughts of Owen out of her head. There were so many unanswered questions.

Grace’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Owen’s voice. “Are you going to join us for lunch?”

She looked up and saw Owen smiling in her direction. She had not noticed that Constance had brought the basket of food over, and spread a blanket for them to sit on. “Sure. I’ll be right over. Just let me finish tying off the streamer.”

She finished what she was doing, and then joined the others on the blanket, and sat down next to Constance.

“Are you alright dear?” Constance asked, sounding concerned. “You look pale.”

Owen, sitting opposite of Grace, eagerly biting into a chunk of bread, looked up at Grace. A look of concern spread across his brow. “You are pale. Maybe you are over doing it.”

“I’m okay. I probably just waited too long to sit down to eat.” Grace answered. “I’ll be fine.”

Owen moved closer, placed a hand on her shoulder, and looked into her eyes as if examining her. “Are you sure. Maybe we should head back home so you can rest.”

“No, no. I am fine. I insist.” Grace said, more annoyed than comforted by Owen’s concern. “If we leave now, the rest of those stands won’t ever get up. I’ll take it easy, I promise.”

Grace was relieved when it was agreed that they would not leave. She didn’t want to be responsible for the stands not getting finished up, and she was sure that without Owen, they probably wouldn’t be finished in time. Besides, she knew that she wasn’t sick. Just a bit in shock over the rumor she had just heard.

She didn’t know if she should talk to Owen about it. She knew that she didn’t have any right to be upset, even if it were true. Owen had not made any overtures toward her, nor had he lead her on in any way. It was true that he seemed to be warming up toward her, but it was possible that she was interpreting it wrong. He may not be developing similar feelings as she was, and had certainly never expressed to her that he was. It was not fair for her to make assumptions. She decided for the time being that she would wait to decide whether or not to talk to him about it.

The rest of the afternoon, Mrs. Metzger had Grace so busy that she had little time to think about Owen, or anything else for that matter. She was glad for it though, because sometimes her own thoughts could be her worst enemy. By the time everything was finished, Grace was exhausted, and happy to be headed back home.

Once they arrived home, they ate a quick supper, and then everyone, exhausted, retired early to bed. They planned to stop by the festival for an hour or two the next day. It was scheduled to start after church services let out, and would run until night fall.

The next day they rose early, and despite not having a full night’s sleep, they were able to make it to Church on time. Afterwards, Grace had a wonderful time at the carnival. Owen won a pie by winning a bag race, and promised to share it with Grace and Constance at supper that night. There were so many people in attendance, and she could only imagine that the event was the most exciting thing to happen, to draw so many people out of the sticks. She met so many people, including several single gentlemen, all of whom seemed pretty excited to learn that there was a new eligible girl in town. She really enjoyed the attention, but when the day was finally over and she was all alone to her thoughts, she had to admit to herself that none of the gentlemen that she had met, held a candle to Owen.

CHAPTER 5

October 19, 1896

Owen was happy for the opportunity to spend some more time with Grace, but his guilty feelings over his childhood crush would not let him enjoy the thought of it for long.
I shouldn’t feel this excited about being with her. It isn’t right.
He thought.

He had recognized his own irritation a few weeks earlier at the festival when a few guys had paid attention to Grace. He was jealous.
I shouldn’t have been though.
He knew it was true. He should be happy for her that she might end up finding a husband in Montana despite the difficult circumstances that she found herself in when she arrived.
She is a good person, and she deserves to be happy.
Still, he also had to admit to himself that he was relieved that none of the gentlemen had come calling on her yet.

“So, do you have the time to take her or not?” Constance asked again.

With mixed feelings, he agreed to take her. “Um—yeah. I guess so. I suppose I can put off some things until tomorrow.”

“Okay, good. It’s settled then.” Constance said as she brought the last bite of her breakfast too her mouth.

“Are you sure, you don’t mind?” Grace asked. “I am happy to go by myself. I am sure that I’ll be fine.”

Constance stood and began to remove her breakfast dishes from the table. “You are not going to ride about in the countryside without Owen with you. You could get lost and the temperature is already getting pretty cold at night. There are mountain lions and bears still active in the area. It’s just too dangerous.”

“Constance is right. It’ll be better if I go with you.” Owen agreed. “I’ll just grab some things and then go saddle up a couple of the horses.”

“Alright. I really appreciate it. I’ve wanted to ride about the countryside for a while now. I’m anxious to explore a little.” Grace said.

“I didn’t even realize that you knew how to ride?” Owen said. “I’d have suggested that you could come along with me when I’ve gone out a few times before.”

“Yes, actually I ride well enough. I was friends with a girl whose parents owned a stable, so I was able to learn how to ride both side saddle and astride. I love to ride horses, but my parents never thought it was very lady like.” Grace answered with a distant, contented expression on her face, presumably reminiscing upon events of her past.

“Well fortunately you are in Montana now. We have a different way of looking at things.” Owen said, rising from his seat and walking toward the front door. He paused upon reaching the door, and took the rifle down from the pegs where it was mounted above. “I’ll meet you out front.”

It was always much quicker to saddle the horses up than to get them into harness and ready to pull the wagon. He slid the rifle into the scabbard on the saddle of the horse that he would be riding, and walked both horses out of the barn toward the front of the house, where he tied them off on a hitching post.
Maybe I should tell Grace about Nina.
He thought to himself as he waited.
I don’t want to mislead her, and it would probably be for the best anyway.

***

After Owen had stepped out, Grace turned to Constance and asked, “Are you sure that you are okay with me going? I really feel like I should stay behind and help you with the chores.”

“No, no. Really, I insist.” His sister answered, “Besides, this might be your last chance to see the countryside before the weather gets too bad. You might as well do it now. I can take care of the dishes, and I’ll be able to get caught up on some sewing that I’ve been wanting to do. You do want to go still, don’t you?”

“Actually I do. But I get the sense that Mr. Miller may not want to take me.” Grace answered, confused by the mixed signals that she was sensing from Owen.

“I don’t think that’s it at all.” Constance said. “I know my brother, and he does want to take you. If he didn’t want to, we would both know it. But I agree, he is acting strangely.”

Strange as his behavior might be to Grace, Grace really felt drawn to Owen in a way that seemed foreign to her. She had never felt the same about another man, especially right after meeting him. But Owen seemed to present a puzzle for her to figure out. A very interesting puzzle. He intrigued her, and she felt that without a doubt she wanted to get to know him better.

She retreated to her room and got ready to go. She did not expect it would take Owen too long to saddle up the horses, but she hoped it would be enough time to put her hair up in a French braid. Releasing the bun, her hair cascaded down her back. She did a quick comb through, and then sat down in front of the mirror and began braiding her hair. She was just about done when Constance tapped at her bedroom door.

“He’s leading the horses out of the barn now.” Constance said.

“Okay, and thank you.” Grace answered through the closed door. “Can you let him know I’ll be right there?”

“Sure thing.”

Grace quickly did the finishing touches to her hair, and tied off the braid with a ribbon at the tip. She carefully pulled a wide-brimmed hat down over her hair, and then did one last check in the mirror. Satisfied that she looked satisfactory, she began to head to the door but hesitated.

She pondered silently to herself for a minute, and then making up her mind, she turned back and retrieved a small bottle from her nightstand door.

The perfume had been her mother’s favorite scent, and her mother had given her it as a gift as she approached the end of her life. Grace had only worn it once since then, desiring to save it only for the most special occasions. She gave herself a couple of light spritzes, the scent reminding her of more joyous times. She returned the bottle to the drawer. Satisfied that she was ready, she left quickly to join Owen outside.