Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
W hat would Sampson think of her? Nervous energy hummed through Grace’s entire body.
She tucked the last pin into place and gave her hair one more pat. The braid coiled around her head would have to do. She couldn’t create the fancy styles Mama had been able to, but with a ribbon woven through the braid, this looked pretty enough. Didn’t it? Hopefully Sampson would agree.
Not that he’d agreed to a real marriage. Even so, for some reason, she wanted him to be pleased with her appearance as his bride.
It was silly to worry so. She pivoted from the mirror.
Ruby had played quietly while she worked, an accomplishment in itself.
She smiled down at the little one lying on the bed and gripping the leather strip she loved. "We're going to get married today, Ruby."
The babe's blue eyes blinked at her as she cooed like she understood every word.
Grace held in a sigh. “I hope so. I hope I’m doing the right thing.” She had to stop questioning herself. She’d made the decision, and the time had come to carry it out.
She scooped up Ruby and grabbed the basket so she would have a place to lay her during the ceremony. A scan around the room showed nothing else she needed. Was she missing something?
Most women had weeks or months to prepare for a wedding. If only Mama were here. She turned toward the door to ward off the grief that would overwhelm her if she let it. She had to focus on getting through this next hour. Nothing else.
She descended the stairs with Ruby in one arm and the basket swinging from the other.
Her father waited at the bottom. His dark gaze honed on her, bringing the realization that he didn’t know about Ruby yet.
She forced a pleasant expression, as much as she wanted to cower.
When she reached the bottom step, he demanded, "Whose child is that?"
Grace met his piercing eyes, her heart pounding. "This is Ruby. She's… I’ve taken her in as my ward. As my daughter."
His eyes narrowed. "Your daughter? What nonsense is this?"
"Her mother died, and her father left her in my care." She glanced at the open parlor door. "It's a long story, and one we don't have time for now."
It took some courage to step away from him and move toward the room.
Thankfully, her father didn’t try to stop her.
Sampson stood near the hearth, another man at his side. Sampson’s gaze locked on her as she entered, his brown eyes soft. He stepped forward, holding something green.
She met him partway, and he took the basket from her and extended a holly branch. He gave her a sheepish smile. "I thought you might like something pretty to hold, even though it’s not the season for flowers."
Warmth soaked through her at the thoughtful gesture. He'd somehow found a moment, amidst all the arrangements and bringing her bags from the livery to consider what she might want. She accepted the gift, her fingers brushing his. Tingles crept up her arm from the contact, but she did her best to ignore them. "It's perfect. Thank you."
And it was. The shiny green leaves and bright red berries added a festive touch to the simple ceremony.
She met his gaze and sank into the warmth there, the sincerity. He was truly trying to make this special for her, even in the midst of the chaos. Her chest tightened with unexpected emotion.
The deputy cleared his throat. "Are we ready to begin?"
Grace nodded, not trusting her voice. She settled Ruby in her basket, then straightened and moved to stand with Sampson in front of the deputy.
Someone had brought in a few extra candles to place on the mantel, and their glow lit the space as the deputy began the simple ceremony.
He read the vows, and she managed to speak her parts in a clear, mostly-steady voice.
It felt surreal to be pledging herself to a man she barely knew. Yet something about his solid, reassuring presence beside her and the care he'd already shown made it seem right. If she had to enter a hasty marriage, there was no one she'd rather bind herself to than this man who’d already proven himself countless times in two short days.
"I now pronounce you man and wife." The deputy closed the book in his hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Sampson Coulter."
Mrs. Sampson Coulter.
The name echoed in her mind as the weight of it settled on her. She was no longer a Hampton, but a Coulter. Bound to this man and his family she had yet to meet.
She wasn't sure exactly how to feel about the change. But she couldn’t go back now.
Sampson's warm hand settled at the small of her back. She hated to pull away to gather Ruby, and he saved her the trouble as he reached for the basket, then resettled himself at Grace’s side. “Shall we go upstairs?”
Before she could answer, her father's sharp voice cut through the room. "Coulter. A word."
Sampson paused, and when he spoke, his voice came out measured. "Can it wait? I'd like to see my wife and…daughter settled first."
The word daughter brought a flutter to Grace’s stomach. Never mind that he’d just called her wife. This would take so much getting used to.
Her father's eyes flashed. "We’ve work to do.”
The challenge in his expression couldn’t be denied. He was testing Sampson's loyalty. This wasn't a battle worth fighting, not when they needed to keep him appeased.
She touched Sampson's arm. "It's all right. I'm going to put Ruby down for a nap anyway. You do what you need to.”
Uncertainty flicked in his eyes as he searched her face. She tried to convey without words that she understood, that she knew he was doing his best to take care of her.
After a long moment, he nodded and spoke softly. "I'll be up soon. And I'll make sure to keep quiet so I don't wake Ruby."
She gave him a small smile of gratitude before taking the babe in her basket. As she left the men behind and climbed the stairs, a part of her appreciated the solitude. She needed a chance to absorb all that had happened in the last hour. To fully comprehend that she had become a married woman.
But as she entered their room and shut the door behind her, a wave of loneliness spread through her. The space felt too big, too empty without Sampson's steadying presence.
She couldn't let herself grow accustomed to relying on him. In the end, it would always be only her and Ruby. Like it had been her and Mama, together but alone.
Sampson might be her husband in name, but she knew all too well what that meant—provide financially, and nothing else. Not companionship. Certainly not love.
Her own father had been nothing more than a peripheral figure, flitting in and out of their lives as he pleased. She couldn't let herself be disappointed when Sampson did the same.
With a sigh, she settled Ruby in the center of the bed, stroking a hand over the baby's dark downy hair. "Looks like it's just you and me, sweet girl."
Ruby cooed in response, blinking up at her with those innocent blue eyes. So trusting.
Together, they would be fine. She could be content. Happy even. And she would make sure Ruby never wanted for love.
* * *
S ampson’s bones ached from the bitter cold as he rode the bay lead gelding down the rocky slope in the darkness. The chestnut maneuvered beside them, with the pair still hitched together.
He’d delivered the blasting powder to the location Jedidiah specified, several hours west of Missoula. The man had wanted the powder left in the wagon, so any horses could be hitched to move it if the need arose. Which meant Sampson rode the team back instead of driving them. The sun had long since set, and it would be well after midnight before he reached Missoula Mills.
And Grace. His wife.
The thought of her spurred him onward, despite the exhaustion that dragged at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that Jedidiah had ulterior motives for sending him off so abruptly after the wedding. The man was as cunning as a fox and a thousand times more ruthless.
Would he try to take Ruby away? Force Grace to leave with him? Sampson had to get back to them, had to make sure they were safe.
At least the location Jedidiah had ordered Sampson to take the blasting powder was in the opposite direction from the Coulter ranch. Sampson had been pretty sure this project didn’t involve his family, and the location he’d been sent to tonight was one more confirmation.
Jedidiah had said something about wanting to prepare for a new mine up in these mountains, though he hadn’t given any details. And Sampson knew better than to ask questions.
If only he had it in him to shoot both Mick and Jedidiah outright. That had been his original plan when he first went after Mick McPharland—to make the man pay for what he’d done to Sampson’s family. For stealing a wagonload of sapphires and burning down his brother Jonah’s cabin.
But he’d not had the nerve to pull the trigger. Mick always had too many people around, and shooting from a distance like a hired gun…well, he couldn’t quite make himself take a human life in cold blood.
So he’d signed on to work for McPharland. He’d figured he’d learn more about the operation and find a weakness. A way to bring the man down. He’d quickly realized Jedidiah’s mean streak ran even deeper than McPharland’s.
And time after time, no matter how much he tried to work himself up into righteous anger, thinking of all the people who had been robbed or hurt or killed at the hands of these blackguards, he still couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger.
All he could do was stay close. Do everything possible to make sure they trusted him. That way, he’d know if they targeted his family’s ranch again.
He’d find out in time to stop them or warn his brothers.
He should use this time to come up with a solid plan for how exactly he would pull that off.
So far, the only idea he'd been able to think of was telling Jedidiah the Coulters’ sapphire mine had run dry, but that they'd found another bunch of gems on land beyond theirs, and they just hadn't had the chance to stake a claim yet. That last part was actually true. Or rather, Two Stones had found sapphires on land that neighbored the Coulters’. He’d brought them the stones and said they were welcome to mine it if they wished. That had been a few weeks before he left, and none of his brothers had been in a hurry to claim it. They had plenty to handle with their own still-productive mine and ranch.
Hopefully Jedidiah would go after the new claim and leave his family’s property alone.
It wouldn't be enough, though. If he convinced Jedidiah, and his men started mining the new area, it would keep Jedidiah and Mick too close. He had to come up with something better. Some way to get the men to leave the area completely.
The harsh clop of the horses' hooves against the frozen ground echoed in the night air. The biting wind nipped at his exposed skin, but he barely noticed, too consumed by the gnawing worry that twisted in his gut.
He reached the livery at nearly one in the morning. His body ached as he dismounted and handed the team off to a bleary-eyed McDonough.
Then he jogged down the dimly-lit street toward the hotel. When he slipped into the building, he tried to keep his bootsteps quiet on the stairs, but his heart hammered with urgency.
After easing open the door to their room, he peered inside. All was dark and quiet. Were Grace and Ruby here?
He stepped in, walking toe-first to be soundless—a skill Two Stones had taught all the Coulter boys as they hunted in the woods around the ranch.
The barely audible hum of breathing pricked his ears as he closed the door behind him. He crept closer to the bed and finally made out Grace’s slender form under the quilts. Moonlight from the window fell over the top of her head, revealing the creamy skin of her brow and loose tendrils of her hair fanning over the cover.
So beautiful.
The urge to reach out and stroke her cheek struck him with an almost irresistible force, but he held himself back. He’d made a promise to let her be free, and he’d not betray her trust with even the smallest of liberties.
He’d never given much thought to marriage. Women weren’t plentiful in this Montana wilderness, especially not the kind he’d choose.
And yet, by some miracle, this woman had become his wife . The word felt foreign on his tongue, the weight of it both terrifying and exhilarating.
She was a treasure, one he’d love to cherish and protect, not merely support from afar. If he could just break free from Jedidiah's iron grip, perhaps she would allow him to stay close.
He let himself imagine it for a moment—a life with them, not as husband and wife, but simply as a family. He would never force Grace into physical closeness, not that he’d shy away if she were willing. But simply to be near her and sweet Ruby, to watch over them and ensure no harm came—he could be content with that. Surely. It would be a far sight better than stopping in with supplies once a month.
But first, he had to find a way to stop Jedidiah and Mick for good.
He stepped around the bed to peer into Ruby’s basket, but thick shadows kept him from making out the details of her small form. Her steady breathing sounded normal, so he eased back. Best he roll out his blankets and bed down on the floor.
Tomorrow, he would figure out where his wife and daughter would be safest and get things started to settle them there—far away from Jedidiah. To accomplish that feat, he’d need every bit of strategy he could muster.