An Uninvited Bride on his Doorstep by Ava Winters
Chapter Sixteen
Winona cleaned out the closet of the master bedroom and reminisced on the storm. The last few days were spent assessing the damage from the storm and repasturing the animals. They’d lost ten head of cattle and twenty-three horses—not ideal but far less than they could have, considering how unprepared they were. Fortunately, the storm was fairly short, so most of the fields escaped relatively unscathed.
The west field near the creek was flooded but there was more than enough grazing in the north pasture to accommodate the cattle. The horses could return to the southeast pasture.
The newly repaired corral was sturdy and escaped the surging cattle with no damage. The barn and house held as well but the stable roof was pockmarked with new holes from the hail. The entire roof would likely need to be replaced. That would be a major setback financially, but Winona couldn’t bring herself to worry about that right now.
Logan was safe. She was safe. The brothers were safe. Logan was safe.
She didn’t realize before the storm how important Logan had become to her. He was no longer simply her husband of convenience. She hadn’t told him how she felt yet, but that time would come. She knew now she would not be content being his wife only in name. The thought that she might have lost him in that storm nearly overwhelmed her.
She was pulled from her thoughts when she came across a small box in a corner of the closet. She pulled it out and opened it to reveal a few odds and ends she decided must have belonged to Logan’s parents. There was an old Bible with a worn leather cover, a pair of gold earrings, a medal and a small, bound leather diary.
The door to the room opened and Logan walked in. “Logan!” Winona called. “Look what I found in the closet.”
He strode toward her, frowning. With no warning, he snatched the box from her and shouted, “What are you doing with those?”
She recoiled in shock. “I was just cleaning. I found them in the closet.”
“Why are you going through my parents’ things?”
“I’m not going through their things!” she protested. “I just found them in the closet!”
“Stay out of their things!” Logan shouted.
He glared down at her with what he probably thought was an intimidating stare but reminded Winona more of a petulant little boy. She decided it wasn’t worth the argument and simply said, “Okay.”
***
The next morning as she ate breakfast, Logan entered the kitchen, his hat in his hand. He sat in front of Winona and said, “May I talk to you?”
She looked at him coldly but her look softened when she saw the contrition in his face. “Sure,” she agreed.
“Thank you.” He took a deep breath. “Winona, I apologize for yelling at you last night. It was wrong of me to get upset. Those things are important heirlooms of my parents. To tell you the truth, I’d forgotten about them, but seeing them again last night just brought the pain of their loss rushing back. I lost control and I snapped at you. I’m sorry.”
“Okay,” Winona said. “I forgive you. Next time, though, just tell me how you feel. Let’s not fight when there’s no fight to be had.”
Logan nodded and said, “I’d like to make it up to you. Will you come riding with me?”
Winona’s eyes widened “Riding?”
“Yes. Will you take a ride with me?”
She leapt up from her chair, overwhelmed with excitement. Logan nearly fell out of his own chair with surprise, and she chuckled. “Sorry, it’s just I haven’t ridden since before my mother died. Audrey always said it was unladylike and of course, my father agreed with anything Audrey said. Can I really ride a horse?”
“Of course,” Logan replied. He smiled. “They’re your horses too.”
An hour later, they galloped across the west field toward the stream that marked the western border of the Foley Ranch. The feel of the powerful animal beneath her and the wind rushing through her hair made Winona feel free for the first time since she could remember. She looked over at Logan and smiled.
The light from the sun seemed to bathe him in a golden glow and she felt a stirring in her chest. When her feelings threatened to overwhelm her, she spurred her horse faster and raced him to the stream.
They arrived a few minutes later and dismounted to allow the horses to drink and rest.
“Boy howdy, you sure can ride,” Logan said.
She laughed. “Thank you. It’s been a long time. I’m glad I haven’t forgotten how.”
“You surely haven’t,” Logan agreed.
They sat and watched the creek for a while, content in each other’s company. After several minutes, Logan turned to Winona. “I should be thanking you,” he said.
“For what?”
“I spent so much time focused on the past before you got here. I hated your father. I’m sorry to say it but it’s true. I hated him for what he did to my father.”
“What happened? I mean, I know he stole the deal with the Army from your father but it’s more than just business rivalry, isn’t it?”
Logan nodded. “He didn’t just steal the contract away. He manipulated my father into allowing Heath to speak for the Foley Ranch, legally. Heath wrote my father completely out of the deal. My father spent the ranch’s savings expanding the ranch to support the Army’s requirements. When Heath stole my father’s share in the deal, he nearly ruined us. We’ve never fully recovered.”
“I’m sorry,” Winona said. “My father’s changed so much since he met my stepmother and not for the better.”
“You really don’t get along with your stepmother, do you?”
“I don’t” Winona agreed emphatically. “She’s completely absorbed with wealth and status. It’s a sickness with her. If there was ever any good in her, her lust for money and prestige has killed it. The worst part is she’s corrupted my father. The man I knew as a young girl would never betray anyone the way he betrayed your father. It just goes to show how much she’s corrupted him.”
Logan nodded. His next words surprised Winona. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think your father’s starting to see Audrey for what she truly is. I got the impression when they visited that he wasn’t entirely happy with the way she treats you.
“In any case, I say we leave the past behind. Since you’ve gotten here, you’ve managed to repair the house and repair my relationship with my brothers. I’m grateful you’re here and whatever your stepmother might say, I think you’re the most ladylike lady I’ve ever met.”
She giggled. “Thank you. And you are the manliest man.”
They burst into laughter again. When the laughter subsided, they lapsed once more into comfortable silence and watched the birds and squirrels play around the creek. Winona reached out and grasped Logan’s hand. The world could have ended right then, and Winona would have died happy.
***
Once again, Winona’s happiness was short-lived. She woke the next morning to find the house empty. The brothers had left early for their chores, it seemed. She woke and dressed, then headed to the well for water to wash in.
As soon as she stepped outside, she heard shouting coming from the direction of the stable. Her heart sank as she walked toward the sound. She hoped against hope it wasn’t what she thought it was.
Of course, it was. Jay and Logan were fighting again. When she could make out their words, she realized they were fighting once more about whether the ranch should focus on cattle or horses.
“Blast it, Jay, we’re a horse ranch! We breed horses! That’s who we are!”
“That so? How’s that working out for us? Huh? How many cattle have taken ill and died? Answer me that!”
Winona arrived then. Gregory turned to her and raised an eyebrow in greeting.
“What’s going on?” she asked Gregory.
“Some of the horses have taken ill. No one knows what’s wrong with them, but a dozen head died last night.”
Logan shouted again before Winona could respond. “So, we isolate the sick ones, figure out what’s wrong and solve it! We don’t just turn tail and run like cowards!”
“It’s not cowardly to admit when things need to change, Logan, it’s smart. It’s cowardly to avoid facing reality!”
Logan took a menacing step forward, but Winona had had enough. Before Logan could respond to Jay, she stepped in between them. “That’s enough!” she shouted.
The two brothers recoiled in surprise.
Winona spoke firmly, surprised at her own courage, but refusing to stop now that she’d started. “I’ve had enough of the fighting between you two! You’re not enemies, you’re brothers. Jay, it’s not Logan’s fault the horses are dying. Logan, you need to listen to what Jay has to say. He has as much of a say in this family as you do! Enough bickering! Talk to each other like adults and solve this problem once and for all!”
The three of them stood silently for a moment. Finally, Logan said, “I guess it wouldn’t do any harm to put some time into the cattle herd.”
Jay nodded. “I’m sorry I blamed you for losing the horses.”
They shuffled their feet awkwardly for a moment. Then Gregory interjected. “All right, now kiss and make up!”
The three of them turned to Gregory and stared at him. He grinned mischievously and all four of them burst into laughter. When Winona’s laughter subsided, she shook her head. “I swear, you boys will be the death of me.”
***
Logan sighed and drummed his fingers on the table. After a moment, Winona said, “You’ll wear a hole in the table if you keep that up.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t know, Winona. A dance? It just seems like …” His voice trailed off.
“Seems like what? Fun? A chance for us to spend some time together as a family? A chance to get your brothers off of the ranch for once? A chance to make this family a part of the community again?”
“That’s just it,” Logan said. “The community. It’s one thing that we run errands together in town. No one’s going to say anything to us during business hours but at a social function, parading our marriage around in front of all those snooty people? Aren’t you worried about what people will say?”
“Not one bit,” Winona said. “This is my family, and if people have a problem with that they can just learn to deal with it.” Her voice softened and her face adopted a plaintive look. “Come on, Logan. It’ll be fun. We haven’t done anything fun outside of the ranch yet.”
“What’s wrong with the ranch?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Stop stalling and say yes.”
Logan sighed and regarded his wife. He could no longer deny he was in love with her. The truth was the thought of dancing with her was perhaps the most exciting thing he could think of. He could only imagine how beautiful she would look dressed for a dance.
Most of his hesitation stemmed from guilt. When he invited Winona’s parents over for lunch, he allowed Winona to think he was trying to mend fences, but the truth was he simply wanted to rub his marriage to Winona in their faces. He knew Winona admired him for being the bigger person, but he wasn’t.
He was just as petty as Heath was. More so, in fact. Heath had overcome his discomfort with the marriage before Logan overcame his hatred for Heath. If Winona’s parents were there, all he’d be able to do is focus on that guilt.
Then again, it wasn’t like he still felt that way. He had reconciled his feelings about Heath Ross and Audrey’s bark seemed worse than her bite so far. He couldn’t deny it would be good for Gregory and Jay to get out a little bit. Besides, maybe Louise would be there, and he could finally convince Gregory to court her.
He sighed. “All right, I’ll go to the dance.”
Winona squealed and threw her arms around him. He closed his eyes and savored the feel of her soft, warm body pressed against his. Within moments, he’d forgotten all about his objections to the dance.
***
Logan fidgeted and tugged at the collar of his shirt. The dancehall was packed to the brim with members of Westridge’s high society. He felt like he stood out like a sore thumb.
Jay wasted no time finding a pretty young girl and asking her to dance. For the first time in his life, Logan found himself admiring his brother’s courage. He brought his wife, and he still couldn’t work up the courage to dance.
He saw Heath and Audrey Ross standing on the opposite side of the dance floor. Their eyes seemed to bore into his and he felt heat rise up his neck.
A moment later, Winona’s soft fingers slipped into his. “Hey,” she whispered. “Forget about them. Forget about everyone. It’s just us.”
He looked down at her and wondered how on earth he could have noticed anything other than the beautiful woman who stood before him. She wore a light blue silk gown with lace on the collar and the sleeves. Her hair was tied exquisitely, and a gold pendant hung around her neck. She looked like a fairy tale princess and Logan was in love. He allowed her to lead him to the floor.
As they danced, Logan’s anxiety fell away and by the second song, a lively two-step, he was laughing and dancing with abandon. He glanced to the side where Gregory waited, staring at Louise Parker. A glance at the young lady revealed her blushing and casting furtive glances Gregory’s way.
Logan steered Winona close to Gregory and said, “Hey, go ask that girl to dance before I ask her for you.”
Gregory reddened and shook his head.
“Come on, Gregory,” Jay called as he and his partner whirled by. “Be a man!”
Gregory stared after his younger brother then heaved a sigh. He looked anxiously at Winona, who smiled encouragingly at him. Then he strode purposefully toward Louise Parker.
A moment later, the two of them were beaming and dancing, awkwardly but clearly happy to be in each other’s company. Gregory smiled gratefully toward Winona and Logan felt a sudden rush of love for his wife. She turned to him to say something but before she could speak, Logan’s lips were on hers.