Canceled-Order Bride (Sons Of A Gun Book 1) Read online

  “Calves,” she whispered, repeating the word to better remember.

  “And I suppose you’re right. They’re pretty cute,” he agreed, smiling.

  Lily smiled with him, amazed he looked even more handsome at the moment. A pleasant change from his previous scowl. He gazed back at her and his striking azure eyes held her prisoner for a moment. She caught herself holding her breath, and then he returned his attention to handling the horses and rig.

  “How many cows are on the ranch?” She needed to keep him talking, captivated by his deep resonating voice.

  “Counting bulls and cows and new calves… probably close to five thousand,” he replied, shrugging. “Difficult to be sure. We lose a few head to coyotes every year, and we turn a blind eye when the Crow or Cheyenne kill a steer or two from time to time to feed their families.”

  Lily gasped. “Are they dangerous?”

  A devilish grin creased his face. “The coyotes or the Crow and Cheyenne?”

  She pursed her lips and looked out at the surroundings. Was this infuriating man making fun of her?

  He reached out and briefly touched her arm. “Don’t worry. Neither are a danger.”

  She nodded, relief washing over her. She’d noticed the rifle lying at his feet and assumed he spoke the truth. At least, he presented the impression he would protect them should a situation arise. Further assured the store owner had safely placed her in capable hands, she gazed at the scenery. “Montana is quite pretty despite the… wildness.”

  “That it is.”

  She sighed, itching from her long dusty journey; she’d provide any fee asked to procure a bath and a bed. The creaking of the wagon wheels would have lulled her to sleep if it wasn’t for the bone-jarring ride. She forced her eyes to remain open, distinguishing a snow-capped section of a mountain range on her left. A deer bounded up ahead and then disappeared into a copse of evergreen trees. Of course, considering her exhausted state, she might have imagined it.

  “There’s the ranch,” the fellow announced.

  Lily followed his gaze and her hand flew to her mouth. In the distance, red-painted buildings of every size and shape imaginable spanned a valley where a wide creek ran the entire length near the tree line. A green carpet of multi-toned vegetation covered the area. To the west near a mixed cluster of Ponderosa pine and deciduous trees, a white-painted wooden fence surrounded a large two-story log house featuring a stone chimney on one side. Movement caught her eye as several people walked between one building and another.

  “It resembles a small town!”

  The man chuckled and pointed toward the log home. “The family inhabits the main house.”

  “It’s quite substantial. I expected something smaller and more… rustic.”

  “There are about thirty ranch hands employed on the Double M. A few married men and their families occupy those cabins over by the far tree line. The foreman’s cabin is the one closest to the creek. The single men live in the rectangular bunkhouse to the right of the barns.”

  “So much activity!” She spotted a tilled garden patch a short distance from the main house. Would they have planted the vegetable seeds already? Or, considering the amount of snow she’d seen atop the mountain peaks, was the weather still too cold and unpredictable?

  “Chores will be finished soon and our cook, Sourdough Sammy, will be serving grub in the cook shack. The married men will head home to eat with their families.” He pulled on the reins and slowed the horses, and then expertly maneuvered the wagon farther down a slight incline into the valley. “Be just in time for supper. Amanda will be delighted to have you visit.”

  “Amanda?” Lily swallowed hard. Who was Amanda? The cook? A family member? She’d only corresponded with A. J. McLennon. No one, including Mr. McLennon, knew she’d decided to come to Montana despite the notification of the canceled engagement. And she had no idea how well her arrival would be received.

  “I assumed you were a friend of Amanda’s. You mentioned you’d traveled from Boston. Amanda attended school there a couple years ago.” The ranch hand studied Lily’s face, apparently waiting for an explanation.

  “Um… no. I haven’t come to converse with anyone named Amanda.” Lily took a deep breath, wringing her hands again. “Actually, I’ve a matter to discuss with Mr. A. J. McLennon.”

  “Oh!” the fellow exclaimed as one eyebrow rose.

  “Thank you again for escorting me here. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your kindness.” Lily smiled at him. He might be annoyingly quiet, having ignored her most of the time it took to travel from Milestone to the ranch and only talking to her when she’d asked him a question, but the Double M employee had agreed to bring her and at no cost. Of course, perhaps Mr. McLennon instructed his employees to bring anyone requiring transportation to the ranch, without question and expecting no special compensation for doing so.

  “Like I said, no trouble at all, miss…” The fellow touched the brim of his Stetson and smiled at her.

  Lily felt her face redden when she realized she hadn’t introduced herself until now. “Miss Lily Watson. And I am grateful. Thank you again.”

  They rode past the barns toward the house. A fellow leading a horse waved to the ranch hand who nodded in acknowledgement. Lily waved as well, smiling. His mouth dropped open and he stumbled on the dirt path. She might have surprised him by her boldness. Perhaps loosened proprieties didn’t extend to ranch employees of the opposite gender.

  Lily inhaled the clean mountain air, so unlike the city back home. Catching a whiff of the scent of woodsmoke, she wondered if someone was cooking outside. Or perhaps due to the mountain elevation, the homes still required fireplaces be lit in the evening this time of year.

  The moment the wagon pulled up to the fence beside the main house, a black and white dog shot out from under the veranda and raced down the pathway. The animal stopped by the wagon wheel, spinning in circles and barking incessantly.

  “That’s Floyd. He gets a mite excited to see folks when they return home,” the driver explained.

  A few moments later, the ornately carved wooden front door opened and a tall, gray-haired gentleman stepped outside, resting one hand on the veranda railing. “Who’ve you got with you?”

  “Told me her name’s Lily Watson from Boston,” the ranch hand called.

  Lily smiled and waved at the gentleman; the old fellow might be her intended’s father. Perhaps several generations lived together under the same roof, a common enough practice in the city, as well.

  “Why in tarnation would you bring her here?” the man bellowed.

  Lily’s heart almost stopped when the older man strode back inside and slammed the door closed. This did not bode well for the pending encounter with her intended. No, canceled intended, she reminded herself.

  “You’ve certainly mastered making a first impression, ma’am.” The ranch hand chuckled while he jumped down from the wagon. He extended his hand, grinning. “Guess we best go see why he’s got a bee up his… I mean… see why he’s being a tad temperamental about your arrival.”

  Lily stood, clasping her reticule. She gasped when once again strong hands circled her middle and lifted her down from the wagon as easily as if she weighed no more than a child. All the while, he gazed into her eyes and caused her heartbeat to race.

  “Who… who was… that gentleman?” she inquired, certain the ranch hand clasped her waist several moments longer than necessary. But, then again, this was the Western frontier. Perhaps she had best become accustomed to it.

  Finally, he set her on her feet, standing a tad too close for propriety in her opinion and appearing a bit dazed himself. “What was the question, ma’am?”

  “I asked who the older gentleman was.”

  “Right. That’s A. J. McLennon.”

  Lily couldn’t have heard him correctly! But how could she not have? She’d felt his warm breath on her cheek as he spoke. “Are you certain?” she whispered, wavering on her feet as a spell of dizzines
s mixed with a generous measure of exhaustion and shock overtook her.

  The man nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Lily heard him softly cursing as a strong pair of arms wrapped around her and scooped her off her feet.

  And then everything went black.

  Chapter 2

  Jackson McLennon caught Lily in his arms, alarmed when the blood drained from her face but not completely surprised when she fainted moments later.

  Was the woman weary from traveling? Or was she ailing? She’d appeared healthy enough during the ride to his family’s ranch, conversing in a congenial manner and offering intelligent observations for a city girl. She’d been fine until he’d mentioned his father’s name.

  Jackson strode toward the house, holding her close to his chest. Although he’d stopped barking, Floyd continued leaping in the air and spinning in circles while accompanying Jackson to the steps. Despite the woman’s disheveled appearance and the coating of travel dust on her crumpled clothing, Jackson inhaled a faint trace of honeysuckle scent. Wavy auburn locks lay awry on his shoulder, most of the strands having escaped the yellow ribbon intended to hold them in place. He looked behind him; her fancy hat had landed on the newly sprouted spring grass beside the pathway.

  “You leave that hat alone, Floyd,” he warned, planning to fetch it later. Hanging his head, the dog disappeared under the veranda to his favorite spot for a snooze.

  Jackson climbed the wide wooden steps leading to the front door. He shifted the woman in his arms, enabling him to release the latch with his free hand. He eased the door open and stepped inside.

  “Amanda!” His voice echoed in the entryway as he kicked the door closed with his boot. “Amanda!”

  “What do you want? I’m busy making supper.” His sister strode down the hallway from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel.

  “I need some assistance here.”

  “Oh, my word! What happened?” Amanda tossed the tea towel onto a nearby chair and lifted her skirts as she hurried across the floor. “Bring her into the parlor and lay her on the sofa so we can take a look.”

  “Get the smelling salts,” Jackson suggested as he strode down the hallway.

  Moments later, with the unconscious woman lying on the sofa, Amanda met his eyes. “Who is she?”

  “Lily Watson.”

  Amanda removed the small bottle’s stopper and slowly waved the smelling salts beneath the young woman’s nose. “You must be mistaken. Lily Watson is Papa’s age.”

  The woman jolted into consciousness and her head reared back. “That’s horrid,” she muttered and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked repeatedly. “What… what happened?”

  “You up and fainted,” Jackson stated.

  “I… I’ve never fainted in my life,” Lily argued, pushing her mane of hair out of her eyes.

  “Well, you fainted today.” Amanda patted her hand. “I’m Amanda McLennon and this is my brother, Jackson. Who are you, miss?”

  “Lily Watson from Boston,” she whispered. “I’m here to speak with A. J. McLennon.”

  Amanda inhaled sharply and stared at the young woman. “You can’t be Lily Watson. Miss Watson is sixty-four years old!”

  Lily frowned. “No. I’m twenty-one.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense. I’m certain you mentioned your age in your letters. And you stated you were sixty-four.”

  “I was born in ’64. I turned twenty-one a month ago,” Lily explained, swallowing with some difficulty. “Could I have something to drink, please?”

  “I’ll get some water.” Jackson disappeared out of the room and returned a few moments later.

  “Oh, my word! I misread your letter. I never would have continued corresponding with you if I’d known,” Amanda muttered.

  Lily gazed at her. “I…I don’t understand.”

  “Here you go.” Jackson handed her the crystal glass filled with water. “Drink some of this and then we’ll explain.”

  Lily drank half of the cool beverage and then handed the glass back to him. “Thank you.”

  She struggled to a sitting position on the sofa, slowly swinging her legs around and setting her feet on the rug.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Amanda took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry. There’s been a terrible misunderstanding, Miss Watson. And it’s entirely my fault.”

  “Understatement,” Jackson muttered, grinning. He couldn’t wait to see the expression on Lily’s face when his sister offered her explanation. This could prove more entertaining than the Saturday night fistfights at the Copper Nugget Saloon.

  Amanda reached for Lily’s hand. “I must apology for bringing you all this way, Miss Watson, and we’ll definitely reimburse you for any expenses incurred. I’m sorry, but there won’t be a wedding. Did you not receive Papa’s telegraph in time?”

  “Your father’s telegraph?” Lily’s face paled again. “So, the older gentleman on the veranda… he truly is A. J. McLennon?”

  Amanda nodded slowly. “He’s our father. And he wasn’t too happy with me after he learned what I’d done.”

  “He didn’t offer me much of a welcome either,” Lily muttered, shaking her head. She glanced at Jackson and then returned her attention to Amanda. “I’m sorry. I’m confused. The man I corresponded with owned the Double M Ranch. It was my understanding that AJ is a widower with six young children, five boys and a girl. I assumed he offered marriage to enlist my help with raising his children. But shortly before boarding the train in Boston, I received word he’d changed his mind about the proposal.”

  “I’ve completely led you astray. I wrote the letters,” Amanda confessed.

  Lily gasped. “You wrote AJ’s letters? Your father is illiterate?”

  “Heavens, no! Nothing like that. I wrote them in a rush without Papa’s knowledge and clearly I didn’t convey my intentions properly. Or what I meant as Papa’s intentions. Oh, I’ve created such a mess! Our father has five grown sons and me, his only daughter. I’m the youngest, seventeen turning eighteen next month.”

  “You wrote the letters?” Lily repeated.

  Amanda grimaced and clasped her hands in her lap. “Our mother passed two years ago, and I’ve been cooking and cleaning for Papa and my brothers. I’ve dreamed of moving to town and I decided that Papa might permit such a thing if he acquired a new wife to handle the cooking, laundry, and house cleaning. And he’d have someone to share his remaining years.”

  “She meant well,” Jackson added, in his sister’s defense.

  Lily sat, speechless.

  “Truly, I did.” Amanda patted Lily’s hand. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am. Of course, we’ll pay your way back home to Boston.”

  “No!” Lily exclaimed. “Absolutely not! I’m never going back there.”

  AJ strode into the parlor and stood hands on hips. “Did you tell her what you did, girl?”

  “Yes, Papa.” Amanda met Lily’s eyes. “She’s been surprisingly gracious.”

  “What do you intend to do about this?” he demanded, glaring at his daughter.

  “I’ve offered to pay her expenses here and cover the cost to return home.” Amanda glanced at him. “But she refuses to return to Boston.”

  “Well, of course not!” AJ exclaimed, waving his hand. “Give the girl a day or two to recover from her trip.”

  “No, you don’t understand.” Lily struggled to her feet. “I’m never returning to Boston. Ever.”

  Their father stood, stunned. Jackson had to admit the Eastern gal had caught him off guard as well. Why was she so adamant about remaining in Montana?

  Lily stuck out her hand. “I’m Lily Watson, sir. Pleased to meet you.”

  AJ shook hands with her. “Pleased to meet you, too, Miss Watson. But why are you not returning home?”

  “I can’t.” Lily wrung her hands again.

  “Are you fleeing from the law?” AJ demanded.

  Lily gasped and glared at him. “Absolutely not!”

  Jacks
on dragged his hands through his hair. The situation had progressed from humorous, to confusing, to troubling. Something didn’t add up here, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Lily appeared worried that she’d be forced to return home, but she seemed such a lovely young lady. He couldn’t guess why she would insist upon remaining in Montana. Did Lily still hold out hope Pa would marry her?

  “I hope you don’t believe there’s a possibility we’ll be wed,” AJ blurted, as if reading Jackson’s mind.

  Lily shook her head. “No, sir. No offence intended, but I would never marry a man so many years my senior.” She explained the misunderstanding in the correspondence concerning her age.

  “Well, all right then, miss. I’m in complete agreement with you there.”

  “In fact, that’s why I’m not returning to Boston.” Lily slumped onto the sofa. “It’s a long story—”

  “My biscuits!” Amanda exclaimed and charged toward the parlor door. “I put them in the oven seconds before Jackson called me.”

  “Well, the telling of that story can wait until after supper, Miss Watson.” AJ waved Lily toward the door. “Let’s eat. Then you can explain your situation.”

  “Thank you, sir. And please call me Lily.” She smiled at him. “It appears we’ve both been hoodwinked by your daughter. I now understand your reason for canceling the proposal.”

  “Even when I believed you were my age, I had no intention of remarrying.” AJ guided her out of the parlor and down the hallway.

  “I never learned your actual name, sir,” Lily said, meeting his eyes.

  “Just AJ. Nothing more,” he replied.

  “It’s true,” Jackson added.

  “And please believe me,” AJ continued, “my decision to cancel the marriage has nothing to do with any shortcoming in you or your character. You’re a delightful young lady. I just don’t see myself ever finding another woman to match my dear Edna. What we shared was special and I’ll never find anyone close to a match.”

  Jackson stared at his father; he’d never heard him speak about his mother or anyone with such flowery words. Strong, tough, controlling A. J. McLennon never showed sensitivity or spoke in emotional terms like he’d just heard. Never turn your back. Never roll over and expose your belly. How many times had Jackson and his brothers been schooled in life lessons with those warnings from Pa? He’d taught his sons to grow up tough. To be independent. To stand up for themselves and to protect those more vulnerable. To be real men, as he often referred to his sons. AJ had never suggested they allow themselves to let down their guard and reveal their feelings like he’d done a moment ago. Jackson had witnessed a completely different side to his father tonight.