The Unexpected Wife(66)

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.”