Matthias closed the door after Abby as the boys moved down the narrow center aisle. He was in too good a mood to be annoyed with Mrs. Clements’s meddling. “We weren’t in a rush.” He squeezed Abby’s hand, remembering how she’d moaned when he’d made love to her this morning before dawn.
Abby blushed as she ducked her head and pretended to look at a bolt of fabric.
The boys ran to a display of toys on the side of the counter. There was a set of jacks and a red ball.
Matthias couldn’t help but grin. Last night had been beyond anything he could have imagined. He’d never dreamed life could be so damn good again.
Mrs. Clements glared at them both, then grinned. She reached for a large jar filled with sugar sticks and pulled out two. Coming around the counter, she handed each boy a candy stick. “You two sit out front on the porch. I don’t want sticky fingers near my new fabrics.”
The boys’ faces split into wide grins and they started for the door.
Abby stopped them before they could slip outside. She knelt in front of them and whispered something in their ears.
The boys turned and looked at Mrs. Clements. “Thank you.”
The older woman winked. “You’re welcome.” When the boys were gone, Mrs. Clements planted her hands on her hips. “Well, I can see you two look like the cats that caught the canary.”
Abby laughed. “We’re heading back to the ranch and we wanted to say our goodbyes.”
Mrs. Clements hugged her. “I wish you all the happiness in the world.” She drew back and dabbed the corner of her apron to her eye. “I know you two will be very happy. Matthias, I hear Mr. Stokes plans to meet you at the railroad and inspect your horses.”
“He does in four weeks. I want to get to market so that I’m back before the first snowfall. I’d just as soon not leave home any longer than is necessary.”
Abby smiled and took his hand in hers.
“We’ll keep an eye out for Abby while you’re gone. Holden will make regular stagecoach stops between now and then, so she’ll have more company than she can shake a stick at.”
Matthias nodded. “I appreciate that. After Collier’s outburst yesterday, I don’t like leaving her alone.”
Mrs. Clements waved her hand. “He won’t be trouble. Likely he’s already sobered up and gotten back to his ranch.”
“Let’s hope so,” he said. Collier did have a lot of work to do and any sane man would put aside grudges for the sake of his ranch. But Collier wasn’t always sane.
The sound of the boys’ voices drifted into the store.
“We better get going before they get into trouble,” Abby said.
“Right. See you soon, Mrs. Clements.”
Abby smiled. “Thank you again.”
They turned and moved toward the door. Matthias’s hand was on the door when Mrs. Clements called out. “Admit it, Matthias. You and Abby make a great team. And I knew best.”
Matthias pressed his hand into Abby’s back. He liked touching her. “You win, Mrs. Clements. You were right. We’re a great team.”
Satisfied, she folded her arms over her chest. “Ah, it’s the sweetest sound in the world—a man admitting a woman is right.”
A great team. Not a great marriage. Not a great love, but a team, as if they were horses or mules.
The words stuck in Abby’s mind over the next few weeks, though she did her best to shake them.
During the days over the next weeks, work dominated their lives. Matthias herded his horses from the grasslands and corralled them at the ranch in preparation for the trip to the railhead. He worked from sunup to sundown and she rarely saw him during the day. Abby’s days were just as busy. She not only had the boys and her usual chores, but their home was becoming a regular coach stop on Holden’s route.
But the nights were different. They belonged to Abby and Matthias. After the boys crawled into their new bed in the loft, they would slip into their own bed. Their nights were filled with lovemaking. She felt closest to Matthias during these quiet hours, when nestled against him, she would whisper her love for him. He would hug her close and kiss her on the cheek, but he never returned the sentiment. Still, with him so close she could almost convince herself that he loved her, too.
It was past two o’clock on a Sunday in August when Abby and the boys went into the barn to check on a newly acquired mare. Matthias had promised to be home early that day so that they could all share an early supper to celebrate her birthday. But he was already an hour overdue.
Abby hadn’t started to worry yet. Matthias was working hard and likely had forgotten today was Sunday and that she’d planned a special meal. He had forgotten last week as well. And the week before.
The other weeks she’d shrugged off his tardiness. He had to work and she understood that. The stakes were high now and soon it would be make-or-break time for the ranch.
But this morning she’d asked him to make a special effort to be home on time. It was her birthday, she’d explained, and she wanted a special family dinner. Matthias had promised and kissed her goodbye and left.
Abby and the boys approached the stall. The mare, black with white spots, snorted.
“She doesn’t look happy,” Quinn said.
“She’s just getting used to her new home,” Abby said. She held out a handful of oats. The mare pawed at the ground but didn’t approach. “It’s best we leave her be.”
“But I want to pet her,” Tommy said.
Abby smoothed his wild hair flat. He and his brother both needed haircuts. “Maybe tomorrow. She needs a little more time.”
“We should give her a name,” Quinn said.
There was no sense naming the animals. Soon they’d leave with the others. “You two must be getting hungry.”
“I am,” Tommy said.
“When is Pa going to come home?”
She brushed his long bangs from his forehead. “Soon. Let’s get you two fed.”
“Can we have a piece of the cake you made?”
She’d hoarded eggs for a week so she’d have enough to make the cake. “Of course.”
A half hour later the boys had eaten their fill of stew and each had eaten two pieces of cake. With only about a half hour of daylight left, she’d sent them out to play while she cleaned up.
Irritated that Matthias had forgotten her birthday, she started to clear the table, stacking the dirty dishes in the sink and replacing Matthias’s unused ones on the shelf.
She lifted her white tablecloth by the corners and took it to the doorstep where she gently shook it out. She was being silly, she knew, but for just a few hours she wanted Matthias to put her before the ranch.
Her face flushed, she carefully folded the linen cloth until it was a neat square. Her mother had served all her birthday dinners on this tablecloth. Abby had hoped to carry on the tradition, but it seemed Montana didn’t allow such luxuries.
She heard Matthias’s deep voice outside. He was home safe.
Ten minutes later after he’d unsaddled and watered his horse, Matthias, with a boy under each arm, walked toward the house. All three were grinning.
She wiped her hands on her apron, and managed a smile. “So what have you three been up to?”
“Nooothing,” the boys said.
Matthias set the boys down and patted each on the bottom. “You two go wash up for supper.”
“They’ve already eaten,” Abby said. “I held supper as long as I could but they were hungry.”
His gaze skimmed the table to the half-eaten cake. “I’ve missed another supper. I’m sorry. But I got a good bit of work knocked out today.”
Not just any supper. “The ranch comes first.”
He walked to the counter and tore off a piece of bread from a half-eaten loaf. “The place looks great. You’ve been cleaning.” He smiled, chuckling. “I’ve never known a woman to clean like you do.”
“I just want everything to be perfect.”
He brushed her cheek with his hand. “It
is.”
No it wasn’t! She longed to turn her face into his chest and beg him to hug her. She needed reassurance now. She needed him to remember that this was her birthday. She needed him to love her.
Instead, she asked, “How is the herd looking?”
“Fat and ready to travel. The other homesteaders and I should be leaving in a couple of days as planned. If we don’t run into any trouble we should be back by mid-September.”
“Such a long time.”
“I’ve always hated the time away from the ranch. But there’s no getting around it.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “But I’ll be back before you know it.” He pinched another piece of bread cooling on the kitchen table and popped it in his mouth.
“Wonderful.”
His eyes narrowing, he tapped his long finger against his thigh. “What’s wrong? You’re not yourself.”
She shrugged. “I suppose I’m just worried. I think about you on that trail.”
He laid his hands on her shoulders. “I’ve driven the cattle and horses enough times. There’s no cause for you to worry.”
She ducked her eyes. “I’m being silly.”
His eyes narrowed a fraction. “What’s eating at you, Abby?”
“Today’s my birthday,” she said brightly.
Matthias shoved long fingers through his hair. “And I forgot.”
“You did.”
“Look, I am sorry. There’s just so damn much work to be done.”