An Uninvited Bride on his Doorstep by Ava Winters
Chapter Thirteen
Winona finished her dinner and was tidying up the kitchen when she heard the door open. It was Gregory.
Good afternoon, Gregory,” she said, smiling.
“Good afternoon, Winona,” he replied in his typical pleasantly neutral tone.
“Would you like some lunch?” she asked. She stepped in front of him so he wouldn’t be able to pass her without a conversation. She’d had enough of the brothers avoiding her and avoiding each other. She and Logan were finally talking again, and she was incredibly grateful to share her morning and evening meals with him once more, but the other two barely spoke to her.
It was time for that to change. So, she smiled at Gregory pleasantly, but with enough of an edge to make it clear to him he would not be able to avoid this interaction.
His slight smile suggested he knew what she was up to, but he acquiesced without difficulty. “Lunch sounds lovely, Winona. Thank you.”
“Wonderful!” she said. “Sit down. I’ll bring you some water.”
Gregory sat and Winona poured him a glass of water from what remained of the water she’d drawn for herself. He sipped gratefully and smiled at her. “That sure hits the spot after a morning full of hard work.”
“You must be hungry, too,” Winona replied. “I’ll make you a sandwich.”
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you.”
She smiled and gathered bread and meat for the sandwich. “So how have you been?”
“Oh, fair. There’s always hard work to be done and that can be tiring at times, but that’s living on a ranch for you.”
Before Winona could respond, the front door opened again, and Jay entered.
“Good afternoon, Jay,” Winona called brightly. “Would you like to join us for lunch?”
Jay glared at her and passed the kitchen without responding. A moment later, she heard the door to his room slam shut.
She turned back to Gregory. The older brother’s smile had faded, replaced with a look of despondence. A halfhearted version of it returned when he noticed Winona’s gaze. “Don’t be angry, Winona. Jay’s having a hard time right now. He’s not thinking straight.”
“I’m not angry,” she replied. To her surprise, she realized this was the truth. She wasn’t angry, only sad that her family could be so divided. “It’s his fighting with Logan, isn’t it? Why do they have such trouble getting along?”
Gregory shrugged. “They’re both pigheaded. They have different ideas how the ranch should run, and the best way they can think to compromise is to yell at each other in between long periods of moody silence.” He chuckled. “It’s kinda funny when you think about it. They don’t even realize how alike they are.”
“I’m sorry to see them fight so much,” Winona said. “I wish there was a way to mend fences between them.”
“Good luck with that. They’ve been fighting almost nonstop since our parents died. It’s getting so I can’t remember a time when we all got along.”
“That’s horrible! I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “What can you do?” He stood. “I think I’ll take my sandwich to go. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
“Oh.” Winona was disappointed to see him withdraw into his shell when they were finally having a real conversation, but she didn’t know how to stop that. “Well, it was nice talking with you. We should do it again some time.”
He smiled but his face was sad and tired, making him look far older than his years. “We should. Thank you, Winona. It was good to have a talk that didn’t end in shouting.”
He left without waiting for a response. Winona started on her chores, but she was too distracted to focus on them, so she gave up after a while and went to her room to draw. As she drew, she wondered what she could do to help repair the brothers’ relationship.
They lived in the same house, but their lives were separate. It was almost like they weren’t a family at all. They lived in the town but hadn’t been seen in years. They weren’t a family, and they weren’t part of the town either.
She had to do something to fix that. A plan began to form in her head. As it took shape, she began to feel excitement for it, anticipation that finally some positive turn could come to their lives. She would make the brothers a family again and make their family a part of the community again. It was five years since the scandal that soured them in the eyes of the townsfolk and two years since the brothers’ parents had died. It was high time everyone moved on.
When Logan came home, she enacted her plan without hesitation. As soon as he walked in the door, she said, “Logan, I need supplies to mend the furniture and the cracks in the walls. I also need more cleaning supplies and a few more odds and ends. Will you take me into town tomorrow?”
Logan stared at her and blinked twice, unprepared for the question. Finally, he said, “Why don’t you put a list together and I’ll have Darrell get what you need.”
“I’d rather go with you,” she said. Before he could protest, she insisted, “I need to get out of this house, Logan. For that matter, you do too. Besides, we’re husband and wife. We’re going to have to get used to being seen together.”
Logan’s expression showed he knew Winona was right but wasn’t happy about it. “I suppose you’re right,” he said reluctantly. “Okay, we’ll ride in tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, thank you!” she cried. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. The embrace lasted only a moment, but it was enough to lift her spirits to the highest they’d been in weeks. She pulled away and smiled at him.
He returned the smile a little dubiously and she laughed. “Don’t be afraid. What’s the worst that can happen? People will frown at you?”
“I ain’t worried about what people think. I’m just worried about how you’ll feel.”
She thought a moment before answering. “I’ll feel like you’re my husband and I’m your wife. This is my home, and this is my family and there’s not a single thing anyone can do about it.”
He nodded and when he smiled again there was a hint of admiration in his face. “That’s exactly how I see it.”
Winona beamed at him and embraced him again. This one lasted longer and she had time to savor the feel of him in her arms. He had a strong musky odor after a long day tending to the herd in the pastures, but rather than be repelled by the scent, she found herself strangely intoxicated by it. Logan was her husband and whatever their marriage might or might not be, it felt good to know this strong, hardworking man belonged to her and no one else.
The next morning in town, the townspeople reacted exactly as Logan feared they would. Some cast disapproving glances at them while others refused to acknowledge their presence. Most didn’t offer judgment but simply gazed at them like they were a spectacle. Which they were, Winona supposed. The daughter of the most respected family in town with the scion of the most despised. It was a noteworthy scandal for a town as small and close-knit as Westridge. She and Logan pretended not to notice the attention as they shopped, though she could tell Logan felt tense. She placed her arm in his and was pleased to feel him relax slightly.
They stopped at the hardware store first for lumber, plaster and a few other tools Winona would use to fix up the house. Then they visited the mercantile where Winona bought several dozen yards of cotton fabric to replace the dilapidated curtains and drapes and a bearskin rug for the parlor. Finally, they found themselves in the general store to purchase the final few odds and ends Winona needed.
Cordelia was out on a picnic with Mr. Huxtable, so they were assisted by Frankie, the boy Cordelia hired to help her with the store. Winona smiled at him when they entered and he blushed bright red, eliciting a suppressed chuckle from Logan. She gave Frankie a list of what she needed, and the boy stared at her like she were some sort of goddess a moment before disappearing to the back to fulfil her order.
The front door opened, and Winona and Logan turned to see who had entered. Winona’s face went white as a sheet when her father and stepmother entered. The four of them stared silently at each other for a long moment. Finally, Logan spoke up. “Mr. Ross, Mrs. Ross. Good to see you.”
“Good to see you, Logan,” Heath replied stiffly. He turned to Winona. “Winona. I see you’ve recovered well.”
“Yes, thank you,” she said.
Audrey remained silent but stared daggers at Winona and Logan. Winona met her gaze and smiled sweetly, though the smile stopped before it reached her eyes. “How are you, Audrey? It’s good to see you.”
Audrey’s face turned a sickly grayish-white color, and she didn’t respond.
“It’s a lovely day out,” Logan said. “I’m glad I took Winona up on her offer to come to town. It’s been too long since my wife and I have seen folks.”
He emphasized my wife slightly. Winona’s parents reacted noticeably. Heath reddened and Audrey somehow managed to pale even more. “It certainly is lovely weather we’re having,” Heath replied, seeming to choke on every word.
“Say,” Logan said. “How would you folks like to come over for Sunday luncheon a couple weeks from now? Our apples are coming in nicely and should be ready to harvest soon. I’ll have Winona bake you some fresh pies and we can catch up.”
Winona stared at Logan, shocked. Did he just invite her parents over for dinner? She was too surprised to respond and could only turn anxiously to her father and stepmother.
Audrey looked ready to offer a scathing refusal but Heath surprised Winona even more than Logan by replying in a surprisingly cordial tone. “That’s very kind of you, Logan. Audrey and I will be delighted to join you.”
Audrey’s head snapped toward Heath, her features radiating shock and outrage. Heath continued to smile at Logan and Winona, ignoring his wife. Winona couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Had her father finally managed to overcome his dependence on Audrey’s approval?
“Great!” Logan said. “We’ll see both of you Sunday after next.”
Frankie returned then with their supplies, and it was with some relief that Winona excused herself and Logan and left her parents to return home. During the ride back, Winona stared in wonder at the breezy smile on Logan’s face. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him so happy. She was so glad her efforts to make her family a part of the community again were paying off.
Her good feeling lasted exactly as long as it took them to arrive home. Jay met them at the gate, glaring angrily at Logan.
“You bastard!” He shouted.
“Jay!” Winona cried, shocked at his language toward his own brother.
Jay ignored her and continued to scream at Logan. “What in blazes makes you think you have the right to sell my cattle?”
“Our cattle,” Logan retorted, his tone as angry as Jay’s. He dismounted from the wagon and walked right up to his younger brother until they stood mere inches from each other. “And I sold them so we could afford to fix up the ranch.”
“You had no right!” Jay insisted.
“Jay, you are not in charge of this ranch. If I want to sell some of the cattle, I can do it without asking you first.”
“You bastard,” Jay repeated.
Winona had enough. “That’s enough, you two!” she shouted, stepping in between them. “You two are brothers but you fight like you were sworn enemies! If you want this ranch to succeed, you have to stop fighting! What would your parents say?”
Jay wheeled on her. “Who are you to talk about our parents?” he demanded. “Just because you married my brother you think you can butt in where you don’t belong and act like you have a say? Well, you can’t.”
Logan took a menacing step forward and growled. “Jay, don’t talk to Winona like that.”
Jay shoved Logan hard. He stumbled backward but managed to keep from falling. “I’m gonna make you pay for this, Logan!” he shouted. He turned and stormed off.
Logan made to go after him, but Winona stopped him. “Let him go, Logan. Fighting will only make it worse.”
They unloaded the wagon in silence. The good feeling they’d had all day was gone and forgotten. So much for making things better. Logan avoided eye contact with Winona, and she could tell he felt guilty for going behind Jay’s back. Winona didn’t blame him. He should feel guilty. Whether or not he had the authority to sell the cattle, it was disrespectful of him to not even tell Jay.
She didn’t bother to point that out, however. Heaven knew the day had ended badly enough without her causing more friction. So, she simply sorted the supplies, bid good night to Logan, then headed to bed.
***
Winona breathed heavily as she vigorously swept the porch. She’d spent the last week plastering the walls, mending the furniture and replacing the drapes. She’d even repaired the roof. The house finally looked like a home now.
Winona knew she should feel proud, but she felt anxious instead. She hated to admit it, but it was important to her to show Audrey she could, in fact, handle the rigors of being a housewife. Everything had to be perfect! She couldn’t give Audrey even an inch of room to complain about anything.
She didn’t even know what to make. Her first brisket had turned out to be a disaster and that was too much food for a Sunday luncheon anyway. She sighed and wiped sweat from her brow. Her whole body ached but she kept sweeping, desperate to leave the house spotless.
It didn’t help that she’d been left on her own. Jay and Logan were busy fighting again and Gregory, as usual, was doing his best to avoid everyone, leaving Winona to mend the house and prepare for her parents’ visit.
She felt lightheaded and paused, leaning against the broom. Her vision swam and then, without warning, her legs gave out and she collapsed on the porch. The last thing she saw before everything went black was Jay running across the courtyard, shouting for her.
She woke in bed, her mouth dry and her head aching. The brothers stood around her, all wearing looks of concern. Logan knelt by her side, taking her hand tenderly. “Are you all right, Winona?”
She smiled, touched to see him so worried for her. “I’m okay. A little thirsty.”
Gregory offered her some water and she sipped gratefully. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.
“Me too,” Logan said. He turned to Jay and smiled. “I’m glad Jay was around. You might have been on that porch for hours if he wasn’t there to help you.”
Jay smiled, pleased to hear Logan’s praise. His smile faltered a moment later. “Logan, do you mind if I talk to Winona privately a moment? I have something I need to tell her.”
Logan shared a knowing look with Gregory. Winona knew they both understood what Jay needed to say. Logan squeezed her hand then stood and left, Gregory close behind.
Jay stood awkwardly a moment. Winona waited, knowing he needed to do this himself, without any prompting. He cleared his throat and began.
“Winona, I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you since you’ve been here. You’ve worked so hard to fix up the house and, well, I guess I just let my pride get to me. I didn’t want to admit we needed help, but we did. You’ve made such a difference already. I’m sorry I haven’t thanked you before and I’m even more sorry I’ve been so rude and standoffish. The truth is, I’m glad you’re here.”
She smiled and took Jay’s hand. He stiffened a moment, then relaxed. There were tears in his eyes when he looked at her. “Thank you, Jay,” she said softly. “I’m glad to be part of your family.”
He smiled then, a real smile and Winona felt her hope for their future as a family return. “We’re happy to have you, Winona.”
Winona knew there would be more challenges ahead but after Logan’s display of affection and Jay’s apology, she felt confident they would overcome whatever they had to.