CHARITY'S GOLD RUSH (A Strike It Rich in Montana novel) (8 page)

             
“They
learn to
read, do their sums,
and
I teach them Bible stories.” He kept pace with her.
“It’s up to the parents to provide their children’s religious training since we have no church this far out.
Or a school for that matter.
Occasionally, we’ll make it into town
for shopping. Maybe twice a year
.”

             
“Do they have any toys?” She stopped and studied his face.

The man really did look confused. His brow lowered
over
hazel
eyes that sparkled like the jewels she’d seen in a rich lady’s ears once
in London
. Gabriel
chewed the inside of his jaw
, a
s if the word
‘
toy
’
wasn’t in his vocabulary.
Charity still had the simple linen doll her mother had made her
when she was a wee child
, the blue dress now faded. It was one of her most cherished possessions.
“Simple things
, l
ike a carved horse or a rag doll? I didn’t think so. The cat will keep away the mice and give the children a friend during the cold months.”

             
“Do you ever ask permission for anything?
Sam and Meg can occupy each other.
They have before now.
”

             
“No. Now, unless you’d like to see the snake again, I suggest you go back with the children.” Charity smiled. Asking permission only set a person up for heartbreak, or worse.
It gave t
he opportunity for someone to take all that
a person ha
d
and throw it away
,
leaving
that
person destitute and unable to provide a decent living for themselves
.

             
She’d thought marriage would change that
, u
ntil she discovered her new husband didn’t want a true marriage. He wanted a wife as a means to win a gamble.
Through a haze of unshed tears, she watched Gabriel rush back to the house.
No matter. She’d make the most of the next year and worry about the days after when the time came.

             
By the time she had the carcass buried in a corner of the garden, the sun slept behind the mountain
,
and Gabriel had lit a lantern in the sod house’s one window. Charity leaned on the shovel and stared
inside
as he tossed his head back in laughter. Meg threw her arms around her papa’s neck while Sam watched from his seat at the table.

             
Charity swallowed against the lump in her throat. Such a pleasing picture
they made. O
ne she wasn’t a part of.
What would it feel like for Gabriel’s strong arms to hold her or his lips to brush
against
hers? She closed her eyes, almost hearing his husky voice proclaim his love for her. Surely he cared. Otherwise he wouldn’t have taken the time to till her garden, would he?

             
Wishful thinking and daydreams were a waste of time. And time seemed more precious than gold on the Montana prairie.

She leaned the shovel against the barn and shuffled inside to grab her own dinner.

“Even
in
’, Ma. We saved you a plate.” Sam stood and pulled out her chair for her.

“Thank you.” Charity moved to the washboard, washed her hands and face, and then turned to take her seat. T
wo
pairs of dark eyes
, and one pair that seemed to change shades of blue and green
depending on his mood
,
stared at her.

She put a hand to her face. “Do I still have dirt?”

Gabriel shook his head. “The children were telling me how brave you were about killing—the, uh—snake.” He shuddered. “I’m much obliged, Charity. You put their safety above your own.”

“As any responsible adult would.” His unwavering gaze made her uncomfortable. Charity busied herself sitting and arranging her napkin in her lap.

“Not everybody. I’d li
ke to give thanks for not only
our meal, but for you.” Gabriel stretched his left arm across the table and waited for Charity to place her smaller
hand
in his. The children scrambled to their places and joined hands.

“Father, we
ask that you
bless this humble meal
,
and
we thank you
for
using
this brave woman
to
save my children and myself from certain death this night.
Amen.”

Certain death? Surely not.
Charity fidgeted and drew her hand free. There hadn’t been a lot of praying in the
O’Connell
home. Especially after her ma died
, and
P
a tossed everything else
away
on the card tables
. Gabriel exaggerated the danger to his family. Instead of meeting his gaze, she dropped hers to a plate of milk and leftover corn pone. She really did need to learn how to cook.

###

“Mrs. Stoltz is more than willing to teach you a woman’s place in Montana and how to do women’s work.” Gab
e
spooned a heaping
spoon
ful of food into his mouth. “I’
ll
take you over first thing in the morning. The children and I will do fine without you for a few days.”

“Days?” Charity lifted her head.
“You’re sending me away?”

“You’ll know everything you need to
by the time
you get back.” He grinned around his spoon.

She looked stricken rather than pleased. Would Gabe ever figure this woman out? All he wanted to do was make the next year as easy for her as possible. After all, the last thing he needed was for her to exhaust herself. Any fool could see she wasn’t made of sturdy stock. Not with a waist as tiny as Meg’s and her barely taller than Sam.
But then again, she had
Gabe
beat in the bravery department. He set his spoon down with a clatter. “You don’t want to go?”

“I just arrived.” She still stared at her plate.

“I thought it would make things easier for you. You don’t have to go
, if it bothers you
.”

She took a deep breath. “No, you went to all the troub
le. I’ll pack my things before I go to sleep
.”

“Children, head to bed. Your ma and I need to talk.” Gabe stood and cleared off his plate as Meg and Sam grumbled about
going to bed
early
.
Meg clutched the kitten her arms. “Charity, would you step outside, please? There’s something I need to tell you.”

Charity’s eyes widened, and she gathered the children’s plates along with her half-eaten dinner. After setting them into the washbasin, she brushed past him and outside.

Gabe
rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing how to broach the subject of her feelings. He and Maggie
had
lived together like folks who’d never been apart, knowing what the other thought without having to say
anything
. Boring. Bland.
Predictable.
That’s what his life had been like. Charity had been
with them for
two days and
had
already livened the place up more than he’d thought a person could.
He stared toward where he planned to build the big house.

A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of honeysuckle and teased the ends of Charity’s curls.
A coyote howled off in the distance.
A beautiful mournful sound.

Gabe would make sure to build a couple of rocking chairs to set on the new porch. Wouldn’t it be nice to pass a quiet evening listening to God’s creation
and watching the stars flicker to life each night
? He glanced at Charity. If only all of God’s creation was as easy to deal with
as nature
.

“After visiting with Mrs. Stoltz today,” he began. He never did get to finish her corn pone. Charity’s day old stuff hadn’t been bad, just a bit dry. “It occurred to me that I might have brought you here under false pretenses.”

“How so?” She crossed her arms and did not turn to look at him. If water could have frozen at her tone, the creek would have been hard enough
for a team of horses t
o walk on.

“I don’t think I was clear about my intentions when I asked you to marry me.”

“You were more than clear, Mr. Williams.”

He shook his head. She refused to call him by his first name when something had her riled. “Then is it the fact that it’s a marriage in name only that bothers you? Because I would be willing to—”

She whirled too fast for him to back up
before she
punched him in the chest
with her finger
. “I am not a wanton woman, sir!
I will not throw myself at a man, husband or no.” Her brogue, which thickened when she was angry, made Gabe frown,
strain
ing to decipher her meaning.

“Of course, not. I just . . . uh,” He didn’t know what he meant. “Something is bothering you so just spit it out. I ain’t a mind reader.”

“You left out the very important fact that you are a gambler.” She lifted her chin,
and
her eyes shimmered in the moonlight. “I would not have married you had I known. Now, you are also unhappy with my work and are sending me away
before I’ve had a chance to prove myself
.” Her words caught on a sob, and she dashed toward the barn.

“No, you misunderstand.” Gabe reached a hand toward her then let it fall, listening to her footsteps pound away.
He wasn’t a gambler. Not really. One stupid wager that he’d take back if he could.
He’d insulted her and hurt her feelings. What could he possibly do to her next?

             
Sighing, he went back inside, leaving the door unlatched for Charity’s return. He sat in
his
worn leather covered
arm
chair beside the fireplace and toed off his boots. She called him a gambler, and he figured
maybe
she was right
after all
. A silly
bet
threatened everything he held dear, and because of it, he’d tricked a woman into marrying him.

             
He still stared into the fire’s dying embers when Charity came in and latched the door behind her.
“I will stick to my part of the bargain, Mr. Williams, have no fear. But I will not live in a hovel. By the time I return from my exile, I wish there to be a wooden floor and two glass windows, if you can manage.”

             
“I can definitely manage the floor.” How was he going to get the other house built
if he had to keep putting work into this one
?
But, considering his deviousness, building her a floor for the winter was a small thing in comparison.

             
“There is also some furniture in the loft I would like brought down.”

             
He shook his head. “You are welcome to anything in Maggie’s trunk and the small stuff
, but t
his sod house has no room for a bureau and mirror
, or fancy dishes
.
Save them for the big house.
”

             
Charity locked her gaze on his. “Very well. Do the floor
.
I will do what I can to make this place more pleasant, and wait until my term of service is over.” With a swish of her skirts, she disappeared behind the hanging quilt.

             
Despite the fact he’d made her angry, Gabe couldn’t help but let a smile spread across his face. Montana needed more women with the backbone of Charity
O’Connell
Williams.

             
Fabric rustled. He glanced over to see her dress puddle to the floor
where
the quilt cleared the floor
by a few inches
. He swallowed against the dryness in his throat. For some reason he thought she would sleep fully clothed. Not in her underthings. His neck heated. He’d never get any sleep now. Not with the vision of pale skin and a waterfall of fiery hair running through his mind.

             
After shoving his feet back in his boots
, he headed outside to the barn. There was always work to do to take a man’s mind off most anything.
His steps faltered at the barn door as he glanced around for the dead snake’s buddies. Not seeing anything that didn’t belong, he went inside and grabbed the ra
ke
. Mucking out Rogue’s and the cow’s stalls
had
always worked at taking away lustful wants when Maggie hadn’t been in the mood.