Chapter 1 #2
Mrs. Gallagher reached out and laid her hand over hers.
It was warm and comforting but still, Sheridan had to resist the urge to pull away.
She wasn’t used to being touched. Odette and Estelle were not affectionate people.
There had been no hugs and kisses when she was young.
And Bouchard’s had strict rules about showing emotion in a physical way.
“Take your time, dear. You don’t have to make any decisions right now.
The house pretty much runs itself, but if you want to know your mother, talk to the girls.
Especially Lily. She knew your mother the best. If Josie confided in anyone, it would be her.
There are others who knew her quite well, but start with Lily.
” Mrs. Gallagher smiled as she removed her hand.
Sheridan felt even more bereft than when she learned her mother had been alive up until a few months ago. Her heart hurt, knowing now how she had been deprived of a mother’s love. Actually, deprived of love, period.
“And talk to the people in town. Josie DuBois may have been a madam, but she was also a generous, kind-hearted woman. She did a lot for this community, though she tried to keep that hidden.” Mrs. Gallagher rose from her chair, placed her teacup in the sink, gave her one last understanding smile, and exited the room, leaving her to her own thoughts.
Those thoughts were more confusing than they were before, with so many more questions she didn’t have answers to. The most important ones being, who was Josephine DuBois, and why had Odette and Aunt Estelle lied to her?
“Checkmate.” Wyatt MacLean moved his queen then looked up from the chessboard and smiled at Marshal Devlin Goodrich.
The marshal frowned. “I didn’t even see that move.” And then he laughed. “You’re getting very good at this. I’m going to have to up my game.”
“I’ve had a good teacher.” He glanced at the grandfather clock ticking merrily in the corner, then at Tresia, the marshal’s wife, sitting in a comfortable chair beside that clock, knitting quietly.
Their daughter, Avery, had already gone to bed.
“I should get going.” He finished his coffee then rose from his seat.
“Thanks for a great game. You really made me think.”
Devlin walked him to the door. “Well, I’m glad.”
Wyatt grabbed his hat from the hook beside the door, fitted it to his head, then slipped into his coat and addressed Tresia. “Good night.”
“Good night, Wyatt. Be safe.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He turned back to Devlin. “I’ll see you next week for another game.”
Devlin smiled. “I’ll be here.”
Wyatt strolled down the walkway to where Brigadier was tied to a post between the street proper and the end of the marshal’s property. He mounted and headed toward Stone Creek.
But he wasn’t ready to go home. There was nothing and no one waiting for him. His mother and her husband, Royce, his frequent guests, were off visiting one of Royce’s children.
The house was too empty, too quiet, except for the dog who kept him company and the ranch hands, who would come with the rising of the sun, only to leave when the day was done.
Three years after buying Stone Creek Ranch on the outskirts of Serenity, New Mexico, because Katie, his fiancée, wanted it, he’d finally acknowledged the truth and called it what it was—MacLean’s Mistake. The biggest mistake of his life.
Actually, it was the second biggest…the first had been wanting to marry Katie Brooks. Both decisions, at the time, had made him happy.
He wasn’t happy now though, not after she left him at the altar to run off with another man—a gambler, nonetheless.
He shook his head. Wallowing in self-pity was no way to celebrate. “What do you think, Brigadier? Should I stop for a beer?”
The horse’s answer was to turn down the street where Conrad’s was located. Wyatt laughed. “Smart horse.”
Inside the saloon, the familiar smell of sawdust, sweat, and stale beer met him instantly. It was quiet in Conrad’s tonight, but he saw deputies Raphael Zepeda and Caleb Johnson sitting at one of the tables, enjoying a beer after their shift.
“Hey, it’s Wyatt Left Standing!” Raphael hailed him, calling him by one of the nicknames he sometimes heard. Though from Raphael, it was good-natured teasing. He wasn’t offended. It was true. Instead, he laughed. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Come join us.”
“The ranch has been busy. This cold weather is challenging.” He took a seat and signaled to Connor, the original Conrad’s son, behind the bar. “But I managed to make it into town to beat the marshal at chess tonight.”
“You must be proud of yourself.” Caleb said. “Not many can beat Devlin. Apparently, Wyatt Never Wed, you’re better at chess than love.”
Wyatt shrugged. “Maybe I am. I have to admit, the win felt pretty good.”
Connor brought his beer. He took a sip. Ice cold with very little foam, just the way he liked it, then he took several long swallows and drained the mug half-way. “Oh, that hit the spot!”
They settled into catching up on what was happening in their lives as well as the lives of their mutual acquaintances. It was a great way to pass the time. “Can I buy you both another beer?” he offered.
Raphael rose from his seat. “Thanks, but I gotta get home. Ventura’s waiting for me.” He laid a couple coins on the table. “See ya around, boys.” He pressed two fingers to the brim of his hat and left.
“You can buy me another.” Caleb finished the beer in his mug and gestured with it. “Holly is visiting her mother in Santa Fe.” He paused. “Besides, you shouldn’t drink alone.”
Wyatt signaled to Connor then asked, “How long have you been seeing Holly?”
“About six months now. Lucy introduced us.”
Connor placed two more mugs of beer on the table.
“You should talk to Lucy, Wyatt. I’m sure she could find someone for you.”
“Maybe I should.” Though he said the words, he wasn’t sure. Katie had hurt him deeply, but it had been three years since she left him standing at the altar like a fool. Maybe it was time to start over, to find someone new he could care about. He was tired of being lonely.
“Couldn’t hurt,” Caleb said. “All I know is that I’ve never been happier. Holly has a special way about her.” He smiled broadly. “I’m gonna marry that girl.”
Wyatt wasn’t the least bit surprised. “You should. She’s a lovely young woman and I’m glad you’re happy. You deserve to be.”
Caleb turned serious for a moment. “So do you, Wyatt.” He finished his beer and said, “Morning seems to come around earlier and earlier every day. Thanks for the beer.”
Wyatt waved away his thanks. “Be safe out there.”
Caleb gave a quick nod and left the saloon, the batwing doors swinging with his departure.
Wyatt stared at the door until it stopped moving, then finished his beer. He laid several coins on the table and stood. He waved at the bartender. “Thanks, Connor!”
“Sure thing, Wyatt.”
He left the saloon, Caleb’s words on his mind. He deserved to be happy.
With that, he headed straight to Lucy Hart’s. She was the best, and only, matchmaker in Serenity.
When Lucy answered his knock, he said, “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“No, of course not. Come in, Wyatt.” Lucy opened the door a little wider, allowing him to come into the warm house. “Did you need to see Ben? Are you all right?”
He removed his hat and held it in his hands, rubbing the brim. “Yes, ma’am, I’m fine. I don’t need to see Ben, but I…uh…I would like to talk to you, if you have the time.”
“I have the time.” Her eyes lit up as if she suspected the reason he was there. “Follow me. Ben and I are having a cup of coffee. Would you like one?”
“Uh…sure.” He wanted a wife. Someone to love. Not coffee. But he followed her into the homey kitchen, where the aroma of fresh baked bread and brewed coffee lingered in the air.
Ben sat at the table, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a cup of coffee in front of him, reading the Serenity Times. He looked up. “Wyatt! So good to see you.”
He turned his hat in his hands, nervous and unsure. Maybe it was a mistake to come here. Hell, maybe it was a mistake to even think about finding a wife, especially after Katie left him like she did. Damn.
“Is everything all right?” Ben frowned.
“Yes, everything is fine.”
There was a long pause, and he witnessed a loving glance pass between Ben and Lucy, the unspoken message clear.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Ben rose from his seat and patted his wife on the shoulder. “I’ll be in the study, finishing up some paperwork.”
After the swinging door settled in place, Lucy studied him, her smile gentle and encouraging.
He’d always liked her. She’d always been warm, sweet, and kind, even if she did tend to want to know everyone’s business.
“Please, sit,” she insisted.
He placed his hat on the spindle of the chair, shrugged out of his coat and sat down.
She poured a cup of coffee. “What can I do for you?”
Now that he was here, he found it difficult to ask for what he wanted. His mouth opened and closed several times as her gaze settled on him. There was sympathy and compassion in her expression.
“It’s all right, Wyatt. You can ask me anything. Tell me anything. You know it won’t go any further.”
“I need a wife,” he blurted out.
She laughed. “Well, it’s about time, Wyatt!”
He didn’t laugh and she stopped as quickly as she started, becoming serious. “You don’t sound certain.”
“No, I’m not,” he admitted. “Not at all, but I want someone to talk to at the end of a long day besides Duke. I want…a companion, I suppose. A friend. Someone to be there.”
“It must get awfully lonely out on the ranch.” She laid her hand over his and squeezed.
He acknowledged that it did with a slight nod.
“This is so unexpected. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled. I’ve always wanted to match you with someone. I just never thought you would want to.”
She left the sentence hanging there, but he knew she was thinking of Katie, what she had done to him.
“Give me some time to find you the perfect match.”
“How long?”