Outlaw's Bride (33 page)

Clint slipped out with a quick good-bye and headed back to town, his steps lighter than when he'd arrived. The only catch in his whole plan was Mattie herself. She would have to swallow a considerable chunk of pride and admit she'd made a mistake with Murphy.

And sometimes Mattie could make a mule look reasonable.

M
attie smoothed back the wild tendrils of hair from her face, then went out to greet her unexpected visitor. She forced her voice to sound cordial. “Good afternoon, Amelia. What brings you out here?”

The woman climbed down from the surrey, then adjusted her fashionable floral overskirt across the cream-colored skirt beneath it. A small-brimmed hat that matched the floral design was perched on her head.

How could any man resist someone like her?
Mattie thought with a touch of bitter envy.

“I'm sorry to bother you, Mattie, but Orville has an important meeting on Tuesday and needs his good suit pressed. Would it be too much trouble for you?” Amelia asked kindly.

Mattie wanted to dislike the woman, but even suspecting her of adultery, she couldn't. “No trouble at all, Amelia.”

“Thank you so much.” Amelia handed her the black suit.

Mattie pasted on a smile. “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee? I just baked some cookies.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Amelia said, and headed toward the house.

“Just wonderful,” Mattie muttered as she followed her guest. She reminded herself she had to remain hospitable to the woman if she wanted to learn what was going on between her and Clint.

Be tactful, Mattie,
she told herself, walking up the steps to the porch.

After setting the suit on the pile of items that needed pressing, Mattie led Amelia into the kitchen. As she poured them each a cup of coffee, she noticed that Amelia had removed her hat. That meant this wouldn't be a short visit.

“Tell me all about your wedding plans,” Amelia said. “It's just so exciting. I hadn't even realized Dr. Murphy was courting you.”

Mattie set a plate of cookies on the table between them and sat down, wrapping her cold hands around the coffee mug. “There isn't much to tell, really. Kevin and I have been friends ever since he moved here and when he asked me to marry him, I accepted.”

Amelia tilted her head quizzically. “But you
do
love him, don't you?”

Mattie stared down at the steam rising from her cup. “Of course I do.” She hoped God understood and forgave her falsehood, but she wasn't about to tell
this
woman her secrets.

“You don't sound convinced.”

Mattie snapped her head up to gaze at Amelia. “He's kind, compassionate, a wonderful friend. What more could a woman want?”

Amelia glanced down, her forehead puckered as if she were thinking hard about something. Then she raised her head and her eyes twinkled. “Passion.”

Mattie choked on her coffee. She hadn't expected
that
from Mrs. Orville Johnson. Of course, if she was carrying on with Clint … Mattie swiped at her watering eyes after regaining her breath.

“Are you all right?” Amelia asked, leaning forward.

“I think so,” Mattie said hoarsely. “You just surprised me, is all.”

A little smile lifted the corners of Amelia's lips. “Because I'm married to a man nearly twice my age?” She paused. “You think I married him for his money, don't you?”

Mattie's cheeks heated, giving away her answer.

“That's all right.” Amelia shrugged. “Most people in town believe the same thing. But it's not true. I married him because I love him.”

If she loved him so much, why were she and Clint …? Mattie pressed her lips together, courage abandoning her.

“People see him as arrogant and demanding, but Orville's not like that,” Amelia said. “He treats me like I'm made of fine bone china, and when we're in bed together, he makes sure I'm satisfied, too.”

Mattie blinked in shock. She'd never spoken to another woman about such intimacies, not even Ruth. Mrs. Hotzel had told her that what went on between a husband and wife wasn't anyone else's business, only that the woman must submit to her husband. She'd also said that a woman must not enjoy “the act,” either.

That was one rule Mattie hadn't been able to follow.

Especially in Clint's arms.

“Why are you telling me these things, Amelia?” Mattie asked bluntly. “I've been married before.”

“From what I understand, you were forced to marry and then you were a wife for less than two weeks.” She eyed Mattie. “Have you slept with him yet?”

“Kevin?”

“Who else?” Amelia asked with an arched brow.

Mattie didn't want to answer that one. “No. He's an honorable man and believes in marriage first,” she replied stiffly.

Amelia laughed. “An old fogy, huh? Take my advice, Mattie—find out if he's any good first. Pretend he's a horse that you need to take for a ride before deciding to buy him or not.”

The picture the woman drew in her mind was so amusing that an unladylike snort escaped Mattie; the giggles followed closely after.

Amelia joined in and the kitchen echoed with their shared laughter.

“I'm sorry,” Mattie finally managed to say. She took a deep breath to gather her composure. “I understand what you're saying, but there's more to marriage than what happens in bed.” If Amelia could speak so openly without embarrassment, so could she.

“Oh, I agree completely. But one without the other makes for a boring marriage. What you have to do is find a man who excites you both in bed and out. A man who can make you feel all squishy on the inside with just one look. A man who understands you better than you understand yourself.”

Mattie's breath quickened. Amelia had just described Clint Beaudry.

Amelia reached across the table and laid her hand on Mattie's forearm, startling her. “Love isn't something you choose, Mattie. It chooses you. Do you love Kevin the way a woman should love a man? If not, you're going to be sentencing yourself to a mediocre life. And when love does choose you, you won't be able to do a damn thing about it because you'll already be married to the wrong man.”

The swear word on the elegant woman's lips surprised Mattie. She was finding there was a lot she didn't know about Amelia Johnson.

Ask her about Clint.

“Would you like some more coffee?” Mattie asked.

Amelia nodded and Mattie refilled their cups, then sat down again. She drew courage from her curiosity. “Tell me one thing, Amelia. How can you say you love your husband, then secretly meet with another man?”

Amelia's face lost all color. “What?”

Mattie's heart sank. Amelia's guilty reaction confirmed her suspicions. “I saw you and Clint in the alley together on Saturday, after those two men tried to rob the bank.”

Amelia stood and Mattie thought she would bolt for the door. Instead, she crossed her arms and paced to the stove and back. She gripped the back of the chair, her knuckles whitening. “It's not what you're thinking, Mattie. I've never cheated on my husband. I love him.”

Mattie eyed her suspiciously. “Then why did I see you with Clint?”

Amelia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked down at Mattie. “I knew him when he was a marshal down in Texas. I—I was a different woman then.”

“What do you mean?”

Amelia rubbed her palms together, then gripped her shoulders as if she were cold. “I, ah, used to work in a saloon.”

Mattie's mouth gaped. “You were a whor—?” Her face heated.

“I was alone and broke. What was I to do?” the younger woman demanded. “Starve?”

Mattie's mind spun. Hadn't she been alone and broke when her husband had died? If Ruth hadn't hired her, would Mattie have done the same as Amelia?

“Clint would come by once in a while for a beer and we'd talk. Nothing more.”

Mattie found herself wanting to believe her, yet she had seen the two of them in the alley together. But what had she actually seen?

Amelia dropped back into her chair and grasped Mattie's hands. “Orville doesn't know. If he finds out, he'll hate me, and I couldn't live with that.” The woman's eyes filled with tears. “Please, Mattie, don't tell him.”

Dazed, Mattie shook her head. This was all so unexpected. She had hoped to get a tearful confession from Amelia, but not this one. “I won't. I—I never even suspected …”

Amelia smiled weakly. “You weren't supposed to. Nobody was supposed to. Clint said he wouldn't tell anyone, and I believe him. I've never known him to break his word.”

Mattie's throat clogged with self-pity. No, he was too honorable.

“I'm sure I've overstayed my welcome,” Amelia said with false cheer. She jumped to her feet and placed her hat on her head.

Mattie stood. “No, not at all. I'm sorry for the things I thought about you and Clint.”

Amelia gazed at her intently. “His heart is already taken.”

Emily.

“Thank you for stopping by,” Mattie said past the lump in her throat. “It's nice to have a woman to talk to.”

Amelia paused and smiled. “It is, isn't it?” She finished tying the ribbons beneath her chin. “Will you be attending the dance tomorrow night?”

Mattie had almost forgotten—she'd agreed to accompany Kevin. Maybe she could claim a headache. He would understand.

That I'd rather lie to him than see Clint?

She nodded, trying to put some enthusiasm into the gesture. “Kevin and I will be there.”

Mattie accompanied Amelia to her surrey.

Before she climbed into the buggy, Amelia turned to Mattie and asked, “Do you love him?”

Mattie turned her eyes to the land, which was becoming lifeless and barren with the coming of winter. Just like her heart.

She had resigned herself to the loss of Clint and the impending marriage to Kevin. Amelia's words only confirmed her decision. Clint's heart still belonged to his wife.

She brought her attention back to Amelia and forced herself to smile. “I love him.”

As she spoke the words, her mind's eye pictured Clint, but that was a secret only she and her unborn child shared.

“Are you certain?” Clint demanded.

Amelia nodded. “She
said
she loved him.”

Clint stood and paced the length of Amelia's parlor, then stopped to gaze down at the thoughtful expression on her face and his jaw clenched. “So, I guess that's it.”

Amelia rose to her feet, stroking her chin. “Maybe not.”

“But you said—” Clint began.

“I know, but there was something odd about her when she said it.” She stopped in front of Clint. “Mattie's going to the dance tomorrow night with Dr. Murphy. That's where you'll have to make your move.”

Completely baffled, Clint frowned. “He'll be watching her like a hawk. He won't let me anywhere near her.”

Amelia smiled coyly. “He won't be able to stop you if he's dancing with me.”

“And what's Orville going to be doing during all this?”

She waved a hand. “What he always does at these kind of things—politicking. I'll even get his permission before I ask Dr. Murphy to dance.”

Clint stared at her a moment, then began to laugh. “You sound like you're enjoying this.”

Amelia shrugged, but a little smile played on her lips. “I always did like to play matchmaker. Besides, I have a feeling Mattie wasn't completely honest with me. Call it woman's intuition.”

Clint's heart skipped a beat. “You really think she doesn't love him?”

“That's right, but it's up to you to find out for sure.” She glanced down, but not before Clint caught the crease in her brow.