Last Promise (18 page)

“Victoria said he's in love.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Jake said.

Colt wondered if he was the last person to find out what was going on around him. “What makes you say that?”

Jake looked at him like he was the dumbest son-of-a-buck around. “The way he acted about her dress. You and I carried on pretty much the same way, but we're married.”

“Huh.” At least he did notice that, Colt thought. “Do you think she was the reason he went into town yesterday instead of coming home?”

“Yeah. What did you think?” Jake asked.

Colt didn't want to say aloud that he thought Luke might have wanted to visit the gals at the saloon. “It's Sunday, and we're having dinner at the hotel, so I guess we will see what happens.”

“Have the boys take him some coffee. If anyone can cheer him up it will be the boys,” Victoria suggested.

“Good idea.” Colt went in search of the boys.

* * *

“Here's some coffee, Uncle Luke,” Cody said.

Luke walked to the fence and leaned down to take the half-filled cup from them. He saw them walking slowly from the house to keep from spilling whatever they had in the cup. He smiled at them. “Thanks, boys.”

“Ma said you needed a break,” Cade said.

Luke took a sip of the coffee. “This is really good. Did you make it this morning?”

The boys giggled, and said in unison, “No, Uncle Luke, we don't know how.”

“How many horses are you gonna ride?” Cody asked.

“Just one more.”

“Pa says men go for a ride when they need to think,” Cade said. “You gotta lot of thinking to do?”

“Yeah, I guess I do,” Luke admitted. He was crazy about these boys. How could anyone stay in a bad mood around them? He sure as heaven couldn't.

“You want us to go for a ride with you? We can help you think,” Cody offered.

“I think that is a fine idea. Now let's go get some breakfast and then we'll take a ride.”

“Pa said you need to come in and get ready for church. We can ride when we get home,” Cade said.

Luke thought about telling the boys that he wasn't going to church, but he didn't have the heart to disappoint them. Besides, it wouldn't hurt him to have a talk with God this morning. If nothing else he needed to thank him for not letting him break his fool neck on that chestnut horse Colt warned him about.

Colt and Victoria were watching the three from the window. When they started walking toward the house, Colt looked down at his wife and winked.

Chapter Nineteen

Once again, Mary Ann tossed and turned all night, but this time it wasn't due to the noise from the saloon, it was because she couldn't stop crying. Her heart was broken. It was still hard for her to believe how one moment she felt like she was on top of the world, and in the next moment her life was in shambles. She'd been so thankful Luke was back safe and sound, and when he kissed her, she thought her heart would burst from happiness. Why did her father and Edmund have to show up at that life-changing moment? She would never forget the way Luke looked at her before he turned and mounted his horse. Each time she thought about him riding away, she started crying again. Once he was out of sight, she ran to her bedroom, locked the door, and hadn't come out. Her uncle tried to persuade her to have dinner alone with him last night, but she refused his offer. George had told her he rented rooms to her father, and she was thankful they were not staying in their residence. She didn't want to see anyone, particularly her father and Edmund Stafford. They had walked into her new life and torn it apart. Everything had changed in that one moment.

“Mary Ann, please open your door, I've brought you breakfast,” her uncle said through her bedroom door.

She felt guilty over the way she'd shut her uncle out last night, he'd done nothing but help her. She put on her robe and opened the door and invited him in.

George placed the tray on the table by the window and took a seat. “Now you need to eat something.”

Mary Ann poured the tea and sat in the chair opposite her uncle. “I'm sorry I've been such a coward.”

“You certainly are no coward. Any woman who can travel all the way from England alone is very brave. After what happened yesterday, I don't blame you for retreating to your quarters to think things through.” He sympathized with his niece. It was obvious she had feelings for Luke McBride, and the prospect of returning to England to marry Stafford had to be daunting.

“I wasn't prepared to face Father. I thought I had resigned myself to my fate, but when they showed up . . .” She stopped since she was tearing up again.

“I must say I wasn't prepared for him either.” He'd talked briefly with Hardwicke last night and tried to make him see that Mary Ann was thriving here, but the man wouldn't listen. Hardwicke was securing the future of his dynasty and Mary Ann's happiness was the least of his concerns. He'd always found his sister's husband to be an overbearing tyrant and he wasn't improving with age. Hardwicke's mind was set and Mary Ann would return to England and be forced into a loveless marriage. Knowing his niece as he did now, he knew she would be miserable with that lifestyle. She shared his perspective on a life without purpose.

“I suppose Father is preparing to leave,” she commented. She wished they would hop on a stagecoach and leave without her, but she knew it would never happen.

“It wouldn't surprise me. I told him they were welcome to stay here as long as they were civil.”

Mary Ann thought about Luke knocking both her father and Edmund to the ground. “I doubt anyone ever hit Father in the jaw before.”

“No doubt you are right about that,” George agreed. “I must confess, it did my old heart good.”

Mary Ann smiled at his admission. “I was surprised Edmund didn't call Luke out.”

George wasn't surprised at all. He didn't think Edmund had ever faced a man like Luke McBride. “I don't think Edmund wants to tangle with Luke.” He saw the look that passed over her face when they discussed Luke. He thought he would give her a bit more time before she had to speak with her father. “What do you say about walking to church with me this morning?” He winked at her. “You can avoid your father as long as possible.”

She appreciated her uncle's efforts to give her some time before facing the inevitable. “Yes, I would like that. But do you think my cheek will be noticed?” Her cheek was sore and bruised from where her father had struck her.

“Put a bit of your special powder over it and I'm sure it will be fine.” George wished he had Luke's muscle, he'd like to do the same thing to Hardwicke for leaving a mark on his beautiful niece.

Mary Ann hoped she might have the opportunity to apologize to Luke at church. He obviously thought she was trifling with his feelings and it was not her intent. She didn't know why she hadn't told him about Edmund. Her only excuse was that her feelings for him had developed so quickly, and before she knew it, he'd left for Arizona. At first, she didn't even think she liked Luke McBride much less love . . . yes, she loved him. She wasn't sure when it happened, but she finally admitted her feelings to herself.

* * *

Mary Ann spotted the McBride brothers as soon as they walked inside the church. Her uncle led her to the pew behind them, and she sat directly behind Luke. Instead of listening to the sermon, she couldn't take her eyes off Luke; the way his shiny black hair curled at the nape of his neck, the contrast of his white shirt against his tanned skin, the width of his broad shoulders, the muscles bulging under his shirt when he placed his arm along the back of the pew, and the bruised knuckles on his hand. Not only could she smell his scent of soap and leather, she thought she could feel the heat emanating from him. She wanted so badly to touch him and whisper her apology in his ear.

Luke saw Mary Ann when she entered the church. She was wearing the silver dress she had worn the first time he saw her get off the stagecoach. And the same pink hat. He remembered how he felt that day as he tried to get a look at her face under the brim of her hat. When he did get a glimpse of her beautiful face, he was sure his heart stopped beating. He was still blinded by her beauty and his heart still lurched at the sight of her, but he wasn't such a sap that he'd forget she'd played him for a fool. The moment she sat down behind him he got a whiff of her soft perfume. He wondered why her fiancé or her father didn't accompany her to church. He hoped their jaws were swollen shut. His knuckles were swollen and sore for his effort. He caught himself wanting to turn around just to look at her, but he didn't give in to the urge. There were plenty of attractive women in this church who wanted his attention, and he was determined to see that they got it as soon as the last hymn was pounded out on the organ. Now all he had to do was sit through the hour and try to get something out of the preacher's words.

Mary Ann realized the pastor was saying the final prayer so she bowed her head and closed her eyes. She prayed that God would give her the words to say to Luke so he would forgive her.

The worshipers said amen and everyone stood and turned to walk to the aisle at the end of the pews. Luke didn't look her way. Mary Ann followed George and when they reached the aisle she came face-to-face with Luke.

“Hello.” She looked up at him silently pleading that he would allow her a moment to explain.

Luke nodded. “Miss Hardwicke.” He didn't look at her, he simply walked around her and said hello to George before he walked away. He wasn't about to look into those silvery eyes of hers . . . beautiful, deceitful eyes, he reminded himself.

Victoria and Promise overheard the exchange. They stopped and talked to Mary Ann, but she barely heard a word spoken. Her eyes were on Luke's back as he walked down the aisle.

“Are you okay?” Victoria asked.

“Certainly.” She tried to sound cheery, but her heart was breaking.

Victoria saw the direction of Mary Ann's eyes, as well as the bruise on her cheek, which she'd tried to cover with powder. What was going on here? How had she received such a bruise? “We are having dinner at the hotel, won't you and George join us today?”

Mary Ann saw Luke stop when he reached Sally Detrick. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Sally laughed and pressed close to him as she gave him her response. Mary Ann glanced back at Victoria. “Not today, but thank you.”

Leaning closer, Victoria whispered, “Did something happen between you and Luke?”

“Yes, you see my father is in town with Edmund Stafford. They told Luke of my engagement,” she confided. She was on the verge of tears again and wanted to leave before she made a fool of herself.

“I see,” Victoria said. “Is there anything I can do?”

Mary Ann didn't trust herself to say more, so she just shook her head and hurried down the aisle.

George was talking with Colt and Jake when he saw Mary Ann hurry past. He left them to catch up to his niece.

When Victoria walked to her husband, Colt asked, “What was that about?”

“Mary Ann's father is in town. Did Luke mention meeting him?”

“No, he didn't.” Colt looked over and saw Luke in the center of several ladies, but he noticed his brother wasn't smiling. That in itself was unusual, particularly when he was surrounded by women. The twins interrupted Luke's conversation to ask him something. Luke said his good-byes to the women and he walked away with the boys.

“Everyone ready for dinner?” Colt asked, taking the baby from his wife's arms.

“Ready,” Victoria said.

“Uncle Luke, can I ride?” Cade asked.

“Sure thing.” Luke hoisted the boy on his shoulders.

Not to be outdone by his twin, Cody turned his eyes on Jake. “Uncle Jake?” Jake lifted Cody on his shoulders and they walked beside Luke and Cade to the hotel.

* * *

Mary Ann was sitting in the restaurant listening to her father berate her for leaving England. She'd tuned him out, her gaze was on the front door. It wasn't long before she saw Luke walk in with one of the boys on his shoulders. The smile on the boy's face said he was having the time of his life.
Luke would make a wonderful father,
she thought. Trailing that thought, she realized he would be a good husband to some lucky woman if he didn't cavort with other women once he married. She didn't think his brothers did that sort of thing, they seemed to be truly in love with their wives.

She looked at her father and wondered if he sought out other women. It was difficult to believe her father would be passionate with any woman, including her mother. If he had been, surely he would understand why she didn't want to marry a man she didn't love. What about Edmund? She doubted he would be faithful to a wife. Edmund was accustomed to having his way, and she had a feeling if he wanted another woman, then he would have her. If she were yoked to him, she didn't think his philandering would upset her. She couldn't say the same thing about Luke McBride.

Luke saw Mary Ann sitting at a table with her father and Stafford, and the two detectives were seated at a nearby table. No wonder she hurried out of the church, she was coming back to see her fiancé. He took a chair at the table with his back to them.

Colt also saw Mary Ann sitting across the room with two men. He figured one was her father. “Who is sitting with Mary Ann?”

Luke pretended not to hear his brother, he was busy teaching the twins how to pull a coin out of their ears.

Victoria shook her head at her husband, she didn't want to tell him about her conversation with Mary Ann in front of everyone. Jake and Promise turned to see the men with Mary Ann. “I don't know who they are,” Jake said. “Do you know, Luke?”

Luke didn't turn around. Seeing they weren't going to let the subject drop, he decided to respond. “Yeah, it's her father and her fiancé.”

“Fiancé?” Jake repeated.

“Uncle Luke, what's a fiancé?” Cody asked.

Before anyone had a chance to answer Cody, George stopped by their table.

“I didn't know Mary Ann's father was here,” Colt said.

Glancing at Luke, George figured Luke was still angry over yesterday. “Ah, yes, he arrived yesterday.”

“Maybe they would like to join us,” Promise said.

Obviously Luke didn't tell his brothers what had transpired with Mary Ann's father. George thought it was a good idea to keep Hardwicke far away from Luke. Not that Hardwicke would join them if asked. “Her father said he wanted to speak to her privately, so I doubt they can join you right now.”

Victoria had a feeling more had happened between Luke and Mary Ann's father than Mary Ann indicated. And what about that bruise on her face? By the way Luke was acting, she knew he wasn't inclined to see Mary Ann or her father. Certainly not Mary Ann's fiancé.

“Why don't you join us, George,” Colt suggested.

George pulled out a chair. “Thank you.” He always enjoyed the McBride family, and he wanted to stay in the dining room to keep an eye on Hardwicke. He noticed Luke had his back to Mary Ann. He couldn't blame him. It had to be quite a shock for him to find out about Stafford.

Mary Ann kept glancing across the room at the McBride table. How she longed to be sitting at that table engaged in the conversation and joining in the laughter. Instead, she sat nearly an hour listening to her father berate her. Edmund didn't utter a word in her defense. It occurred to her that Edmund might not have told her father the truth about that night when her dress was torn. She had a sick feeling Edmund led her father to believe that he did compromise her, which accounted for her father's insistence that she marry him. Whether Edmund told the truth or not, it didn't matter, her father would not listen to her explanation. She didn't think he would strike her again, but he'd raised his voice when she tried to explain, causing other diners to look in his direction. Not once did Luke turn around.

Mary Ann was barely listening to her father, but when he suddenly started coughing uncontrollably she turned her attention on him. “Father, are you ill?”

“I'm sure it wouldn't concern you. You certainly didn't care about my welfare when you left England.”