The wagon, laden with food, fabric, and planks of wood, lumbered along the road. Bits of mud, left from the melted snow, flew up from the wagon wheels. Nate risked a glance at Lucy. She hadn’t said much, and he had to wonder if she was angry. She didn’t look angry though. She looked tired and sad.
Though she was a tiny thing, her courage facing the wolf had startled him. She was a tiny Titan, and he was beginning to question his initial assessment of her. But the thing that stuck in his craw was that he hadn’t picked her for himself. A man wanted to choose his own wife. Not that she wasn’t attractive. Maybe that was half the trouble. Being around her made his palms sweaty.
Nate cleared his throat. “I thought me and Jed would build some more chairs with this lumber. Anything else you can think of, Lucy?”
“That’s a good start,” she said, her tone distant.
“You mad about something?” he asked, when she didn’t look at him.
When she finally turned her stare his way, her expression was cold. “What promises did you make that poor woman?”
He should have realized Margaret’s pain would bother her. “I never promised Margaret anything. I never even asked to call on her.”
“Then why was she so upset?”
“It was assumed by our families that we would someday join our spreads into one. A merger, if you will,” he admitted. “But though she would have been willing, I wasn’t so sure.”
After a long moment in which he held her gaze, she nodded. “I see that’s true. Poor Margaret.”
Nate had to wonder about this woman who was his wife. He would have felt rivalry toward another man, but Lucy seemed to see right to a person’s heart and feel something that mattered. She truly was sorry about Margaret’s pain.
Eileen nestled her head under his arm, and Nate looked down in surprise. The little girl’s long lashes lay soft against her pink cheeks, and his heart softened. His life was changing already, and parts of it felt mighty good. He wrapped his arm around Eileen and pulled her close so she didn’t jerk so badly when the wagon hit the ruts in the road.
Lucy brushed the blond hair back from Eileen’s face. “She’s tuckered out. I think we all are.”
“I shouldn’t have made you come to town so quick.”
“I had to face them all sooner or later.”
“Later would’ve been better. I should’ve given you time.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I’m the interloper, the one who snatched a handsome, eligible man out from under their noses.”
Nate stared at her. Was that really the way she saw him? A warm glow of pleasure spread through his chest. Women had flirted with him before, but he’d always thought it was simply because he was a Stanton. Those women had wanted something from him—it seemed all women did.
He hunched his shoulders and stared ahead at the road. Lucy’s words were likely a ploy to make sure he didn’t send her packing. Or were they? Lucy had been nothing but honest with him, and for that matter, with everyone she’d encountered. Maybe she wasn’t a manipulator. How could he know for sure?
The cabin looked cold and forlorn when they stopped at the barn. This probably wasn’t what she expected when Pa told her of all their holdings, but she hadn’t faltered when she saw it. What did that say about her? Was he wrong about her?
Clouds gathered overhead, and cold drops of rain splashed onto Nate’s face. The wind freshened, and he squinted at the sky. “Storm’s coming, but at least it’s not snow.”
He jumped to the ground and held out his arms for Eileen. Lucy passed her down to him, and he held the little girl close to protect her from as much wetness as he could.
“Jed, help your sister down, then see to the animals,” he said. “When you’re done, start bringing in the supplies. I’ll be right out to help you.”
“Yes, sir.” Jed jumped from the wagon. He helped Lucy down, then led the horses inside the barn.
The rain began to come down in earnest, hard droplets that chilled him instantly. Holding Eileen in one arm, Nate took Lucy’s arm, then they ran toward the house, splashing through the rivulets of mud that were already beginning to fill the yard.
He threw open the door and followed Lucy inside. It wasn’t as cold as he had expected. Heat still radiated from the last of the fire. The rain drummed on the tin roof as he handed Eileen to Lucy then went to stir up the embers.
As he poked at the fire, Lucy hummed in a low voice as she rattled pans at the cookstove. It was a homey sound that he rather liked. He spent little time here, usually only sleeping on his pallet after a hard day with the cattle. The cabin was changed already after just a few hours.
LUCY COULDN’T STOP thinking about what her uncle had told her. Could his accusations be true? She didn’t want to believe she’d married a man who would do what Uncle Drew had accused him of, but she needed to know the truth. Who could she ask? Nate was sure to defend himself. She didn’t know anyone except the Stantons and Percy.
She began to peel potatoes for supper while Eileen played with her doll. When she heard a horse whinny, she glanced through the window. A woman climbed down from a buggy and came toward the door. Mrs. Walker. Lucy’s heart leaped at the thought of talking to another woman, even if it was Henry’s cousin. She threw open the door and hugged the woman.
“Lucy, my dear, is something wrong?” Mrs. Walker said when Lucy finally released her. “You’re hugging me like I’m your last hope.”
Lucy wiped her moist eyes. “I’m just so glad to see you. I’ve been surrounded by men since I got here. Come in. I’ll put on some tea.”
Mrs. Walker removed her gray bonnet and smoothed her hair as she followed Lucy to the kitchen. “I quite understand, dear girl. And Henry especially can be a bit overwhelming. My cousin likes his own way.” She pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and settled into it.
Lucy put the tea in the pot and poured in hot water from the water reservoir on the woodstove. While it steeped, she got out the cups and saucers. She carried her potatoes to the table so she could continue to peel them while they talked. “Can you stay for supper?”
Mrs. Walker shook her head. “I’m on my way to check on Henry and thought I would pop in for a moment and see how you’re adjusting.”
“I’m so glad you did. It’s been an upsetting day.”
“Oh dear, what’s gone wrong?”
“Henry had another spell. I assume you heard about that?” When the older woman nodded, she continued. “When we went to town, I ran into Drew Larson.” She eyed Mrs. Walker. Should she tell her that they were kin? When the woman’s expression didn’t change, she decided to trust her. “He’s my uncle.”
Mrs. Walker took the strainer and poured tea through it into the two cups. “I see. Does Henry know this?”
Lucy hadn’t considered it, but it had to be true. From the beginning, he’d known her mother’s family. “I would assume so. He knew my parents.”
“How interesting.”
“In what way?”
Mrs. Walker stirred sugar into her tea. “He deliberately married you off to his son, knowing that you were part of a family that hates the Stanton name and everything it stands for. What is that man up to?”
“You think he wanted the marriage to heal the rift?” That thought brightened her mood a bit. She didn’t want to be part of a war.
“I’ve seen no evidence that Henry is distressed by the conflict.” Mrs. Walker sipped her tea. “But that’s not all that’s bothering you. I can see it in those eyes of yours.”
Lucy wanted to hug the woman again. “My uncle accused Henry and Nate of taking his land. There seems to be so much that I don’t understand.”
“Ah.” The woman cleared her throat. “I can understand Mr. Larson’s bitterness.”
“What happened?”
“They were friends once, Henry and Walter, Drew’s father. Walter was a mentor to Henry. He idolized Walter. Then Drew killed a man.”
Lucy gasped. “What happened?”
“He was young and got involved with some bad characters. They were drunk one night and shot up the saloon. The bartender fell into the mirror and died. They were lucky the town didn’t lynch them.”
“So how did that destroy the friendship?”
“That bartender was Henry’s brother.”
Lucy hadn’t been expecting that. It felt odd to hear these tales about a man she’d barely known existed. Her father never talked about family, though she’d pressed him. She sat back and exhaled. “Oh dear.”
“Precisely. Henry was determined Drew would pay. Walter was adamant about keeping his son out of jail. Drew ran off and joined the army before he was able to stand trial. Walter fell apart. He let the ranch go. Took to drinking away everything he had. Finally the land went on the auction block and Henry bought it. Walter died a week later. Some say he died at his own hand.”
This was her grandfather. Lucy couldn’t quite wrap her mind around these facts about a family she didn’t know. She wasn’t sure how she should feel. Had her father-in-law destroyed her grandfather, or had he destroyed himself?
“It’s quite horrible. Why did Henry choose me for his son? I would have thought he wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with the Larson family.”
“I can’t pretend to understand my dear cousin. I suspect he saw your goodness, Lucy.”
“He barely met me before he was trying to persuade me to marry his son. I think it was to heal the breach, even if he didn’t quite realize his true motives. I will do my best.”
“I’m sure you will. You’re very much like your mother, you know.”
Lucy’s pulse pounded in her throat. “You knew my mother?”
“Of course. She lived here all of her life, after all. That is, except for the four years she was in Boston at school. She couldn’t wait to get out of here though. Your parents moved after their first year of marriage.”
Lucy sipped her tea. “I never knew her. What was she like?”
“Full of laughter and fun. She loved a good time. At every dance she was surrounded by men. At one time I thought perhaps Henry would be the winner of her hand. He so wanted to be part of her family. Sometimes I think it was for the Larson name. The town was named for their ancestor and Henry seemed to desire that validation of his worth.”
Lucy gasped. “He did court her? I wondered.”
Mrs. Walker nodded. “Oh yes. He was quite distraught when she chose your father.”
“Did it break their friendship?”
“Nothing could do that. Those two were two frogs. When one jumped, the other followed. I was with Henry when he heard that your father had died. He was quite devastated.”
“So maybe he really just wanted to help my father’s children.” Lucy’s heart warmed even more toward the man who was her father-in-law.
“I’m sure that played a part. As did your own sweet self, Lucy dear. What do you think of your new husband?”
Lucy’s cheeks heated, and she stared at her teacup. “He’s quite handsome.”
“Is he treating you well?”
Lucy nodded. “He’s very kind. Most of the time.”
“Most of the time?”
“He was not pleased when I showed up so unexpectedly.”
Mrs. Walker laughed. “Knowing Nate, I can only imagine.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nate is rather set in his own ways. I’m sure you shook things up like a small tornado. But change can be good.”
“I hope Nate comes to see that,” Lucy said, smiling.