Amelia's Montana Wedding (Love In Montana Falls Book 1) Read online

  Wilder smiled as he recalled the conversation on the train. She hadn't hesitated to challenge him about anything she didn't agree with. Wilder concluded that he kinda liked that. In fact, he liked it a whole lot.

  He rose up quickly from the bed and started to change out of his dusty clothes. He washed and put on a fresh shirt and pants. It was time to pay the sheriff a visit. It would be wise to let the sheriff know Wilder was in town.

  As he made his way out of the room he almost barged into the old man from reception.

  "What in tarnation are you doing? You listening at my door?" Wilder asked.

  The old man recoiled. "I was gonna ask if you wanted some food sent up to your room."

  "I'll use the eating place down the road," Wilder answered locking the door behind him.

  The old man raced away as if he'd been kicked up the rear end.

  Wilder left the hotel and made his way across the busy main street. He gazed along the street. It looked like a decent town. Wilder knew the place had been growing fast, just like so many towns in Montana in recent years. The folks looked like the usual mix of types, although Wilder thought this particular town had more than its fair share of well-to-do types. Ranching was big in these parts, and that always brought less problems than gold. Montana Falls was lucky there was no gold in the nearby rivers. Gold attracted the worst of humanity. It spoiled every town it touched. Wilder had seen enough of greed and violence to last him a lifetime.

  As he stepped up onto the boardwalk he thought to himself that Montana Falls had a strange kind of peacefulness about it that he hadn't seen in too many places.

  He saw the sheriff's office further down the boardwalk. Walking along he made sure to raise his hat to some of the fine looking folks who passed him. He made sure to smile at them and wish them a good day. It always paid to to make a good impression when you arrived in a new town. You never knew who would provide you with some fresh information that would help you do your job.

  He came to the sheriff's office and went inside.

  A young, fresh faced man was sitting behind the desk reading some papers. He looked up as Wilder entered. There was a brief flash of suspicion on his face.

  "Can I help you?" the man asked in a firm voice.

  "You the sheriff?" Wilder asked.

  The man stood up quickly, the chair scraping noisily on the wooden floorboards. He wasn't wearing a gun, but Wilder could see that the man's wiry, lean frame was tightly muscled. He looked like he could handle himself.

  "I am indeed. Luke Dunbar is the name. And who might you be?" Dunbar said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

  "My name is Wilder Armstrong."

  Dunbar's eyes widened and a smile creased his mouth. "Armstrong?"

  Wilder nodded.

  "You took your time getting here," Dunbar said. He came around the desk and stretched out a welcoming hand.

  "I got held up. Or I would have if I hadn't stopped some critter robbing two fine young ladies on the way here."

  Luke's brows rose. "Yeah? What happened."

  Wilder told him about what had happened with Amelia and Bethany. Being the sheriff, Luke wasn't surprised.

  Luke sighed. "The train's become a regular magnet for robbers these days. Especially women traveling into the territory."

  Wilder took a seat in front of the desk and Luke went back round to his own chair. He leaned forward and seemed to be examining Wilder for a moment, as if he were sizing his visitor up. Wilder didn't blame the sheriff. He would have done the same in his position.

  "Funny you should say that about saving those women. I had to do the same kind of thing a while ago. Two women were taken hostage back at the stagecoach station. I had to intervene. In my capacity as lawman around these parts."

  Wilder peered into Luke's steady gaze. Had the man just laid down a marker? Had Luke just reminded Wilder that he was the one in charge of the law around town?

  "What happened?" Wilder asked.

  Luke leaned back and smiled. Wilder was taken aback by the sudden change in the man. He looked almost proud of himself. "Well, that's the funny thing," Luke said. "I ended up marrying one of them."

  "Marrying?" Wilder exclaimed.

  Luke nodded." Yup. Life sure is strange. I found my wife when she was being held prisoner during a stagecoach holdup."

  Wilder felt his jaw drop. He shook his head. "That's wonderful. I suppose congratulations are in order. Who is the lucky lady?"

  Wilder saw Luke check for any hint of sarcasm in Wilder's question. Not finding any, he continued. "Her name is Amber. And she is the finest gal in Montana." Luke gazed up at the ceiling, his hands supporting the back of his head. He looked quickly at Wilder. "Of course I am biased. But I figure I have a right to."

  Wilder was momentarily lost for words. "I don't know what to say."

  Luke peered at Wilder. "You already said enough. Let's get down to brass tacks. I got your telegram. It didn't say much."

  "It wasn't supposed to," Wilder said bluntly.

  "I guess not. Tongues can wag in this town, same as any other."

  "I've already seen that. The old guy at the hotel I'm staying in seemed mighty interested."

  "Old Edgar is innocent. He's just nosy, but he usually keeps his mouth closed. He just wants to know who's staying under his roof, I guess."

  Wilder nodded. "About my visit, Sheriff..."

  "Call me Luke."

  Wilder nodded. "Luke. I'd like to keep a low profile for a day or two. No need for folks to get the idea that there's another lawman in town. It'll give me a chance to ask around, get to know what I need to know before I act."

  "Act?" Luke said. "What do you mean?"

  "I came to here to do one simple thing. I'm not prepared to go into details right now. But I have solid information and I need some time to look into things. Can you give me that time, Luke?"

  Luke peered down at the surface of his desk. He looked up after a moment and nodded. "I suppose I can give you some time, Mr. Armstrong. Couple days at most. But, if there is a problem in my town I need to be in on it when the time comes to sort it out. You sure you can't give me more information?"

  Wilder thought for a moment. "I don't want us going off in the wrong direction. I need to make sure my information is as solid as I believe it to be."

  "What about a name?"

  Wilder sighed. "Okay. Since you asked. I have reason to believe that a man called..."

  The door to the sheriff's office flew suddenly open and a woman swept into the room. There was a blast of sunshine and cloud of dust. Wilder looked at the woman and had barely finished assessing her when she fixed her gaze on Luke.

  The woman had beautiful blonde hair, pretty, even features, and sparkling blue eyes. She was strikingly pretty, Wilder thought. She had hold of a small, ornately decorated handbag.

  "Luke. I just popped in to..." she began to say and then noticed Wilder. She gasped. "Oh! You have a visitor." She turned to leave. "I'll come back later," she said turning to head back out the door.

  Luke jumped up quickly. "Amber. Hang on a minute." He went over to his wife and kissed her on the cheek. Amber flushed slightly and glanced toward Wilder.

  Luke placed a hand at Amber's lower back and turned to Wilder. "This gentleman is new in town. Him and I were just about to head out."

  Wilder saw Amber looking closely at him. She was sizing him up.

  Luke gazed into his wife's eyes. "He's not the only new folks in town," Luke said. "Seems like Miss Hardie has that young lady she was telling you about the other day."

  Amber's eyes widened. "The bride?"

  Luke glanced at Wilder and rolled his eyes. "Yeah. The potential bride. It's still not set that she'll be marrying who you think."

  Amber's brows crinkled. "What's her name? I must pay a visit. The young lady will be feeling out of place in a strange town."

  "Doesn't seem much strange about this town, as far as I can see," Wilder said slowly.

  Amber looked at Wilde
r. "Really? You think so?"

  Wilder nodded.

  Amber looked slightly puzzled, but she continued. "What is her name?"

  Luke glanced at Wilder. "You can ask this gentleman here. He did a noble thing for the lady."

  "Really? And what was that?" Amber asked fixing Wilder with a penetrating gaze.

  Wilder shifted in his chair. "I don't like to brag. It was nothing."

  Amber's mouth pouted. "Now you've both got my curiosity up. Tell me."

  "Maybe I should let the young lady tell you herself," Wilder suggested rising from his chair. Once again he felt that Amber was appraising him, especially now that he was standing. Wilder saw Amber glance at Luke, seeking some kind of explanation. But, there was none forthcoming from her husband.

  Amber clutched her bag tight. "I can see I'm not getting anywhere. I'll head over to Miss Hardie's place."

  "Maybe you should give those ladies some time to settle in," Wilder suggested.

  Amber didn't look too pleased with Wilder's comment. He saw her look at her husband enquiringly. "Of course, I wouldn't do such a thing. Not so soon. I know how it feels to be a virtual stranger in town. I was one of them once. Wasn't I, Luke?" she said capturing her husband's gaze.

  Luke nodded without saying anything.

  Amber turned to Wilder. "I wouldn't dream of prying into the affairs of a visitor to our town."

  Wilder saw that Luke wasn't entirely convinced by that.

  "I'll wait until she's had a chance to settle in," Amber said.

  "She's not on her own," Luke explained.

  "Really?"

  "She's being accompanied by a friend."

  "Two new young ladies in town?" Amber said excitedly. "My. That is interesting."

  "I do believe one of the ladies is merely passing through," Wilder said. "She has no intention of staying here after her friend is safely married."

  Amber cocked her head to one side. "I think I've heard that before. Once a young lady finds out what a fine little town Montana Falls is, they don't leave. I can assure you of that, sir."

  "Is that so?" Wilder asked.

  "Luke and I are testament to that. Aren't we, Luke?"

  The sheriff pulled his wife even closer toward him. "We certainly are."

  Wilder saw the real love and affection between the two. It was pretty heartwarming. He'd never seen a lawman display his affection in public like this before. In spite of himself, he felt a soft tug of emotion. Was that jealousy? Surely not. Wilder had no intention of settling down anytime soon.

  Amber smiled at Luke and turned. "I best be going. Nice to meet you. Perhaps you'll come to one of our little gatherings."

  Wilder shook his head. "I think I'll be too busy for that, ma'am."

  "Call me Amber," she said with a smile. When she smiled the whole room lit up. Wilder could understand why Luke had made Amber his wife. With a brief kiss for her husband, Amber left the room closing the door behind her with a thud.

  Wilder looked at the sheriff. The man's face positively glowed. "That's some woman you've got there, Luke."

  The sheriff nodded. "I sure know that. Sometimes I feel like the luckiest man in Montana."

  "I best be going," Wilder said. "It's getting late and I need some chow. Anywhere you can recommend."

  "Lou's dining place a few doors down on the left. That's as good a place as any. Just do yourself a favor. If you have to go to the saloon, try and keep a low profile."

  Wilder smiled. "You forget. I've been keeping a low profile everywhere I go for a very long time. I just might hang out there. Drink makes tongues loose."

  "Don't I know it," Luke said.

  Both men shook hands and Wilder left the sheriff settling down behind his desk and resuming his reading of his papers.

  Outside the evening light was beginning to soften. The street wasn't as busy as it had been earlier. Wilder could hear the din from the saloon on the other side of the street. There would be time for that place later. In the meantime his stomach was grumbling and he had to think.

  He started toward the dining place, thoughts tumbling in his head. He hadn't liked deceiving the sheriff. But it had to be done. Experience had taught Wilder that the fewer people knew what his purpose was in a town, the better it was for everyone concerned.

  The sheriff seemed like a good man. No wonder he was so happy. With a beautiful whip-smart wife like Amber, Luke had every right to be the happy man he was. But, there was still law to enforce. There was still an unresolved crime to deal with. A serious one. And that was Wilder's job.

  He wasn't in Montana Falls to find a place to settle down. He definitely wasn't in the town to start courting. But, thoughts of Amelia started to flutter in his mind like butterflies that just couldn't be shifted.

  Wilder shook his head firmly. He needed some food in his stomach and a good night's sleep. Once that was attended to, he'd see what the next day would bring. There was plenty to find out, least of all what was going to happen between him and Amelia Crawford.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  "That was a wonderful dinner, Miss Hardie," Bethany exclaimed.

  "Yes. It was lovely," Amelia agreed.

  Miss Hardie sighed. "I'm glad you liked it. I remembered how much you girls used to enjoy my chicken pies back at the school."

  They were all three seated in the parlor of Miss Hardie's house. It was evening and they all held half empty coffee cups in their hands. Amelia sat beside Bethany on a wide sofa, while Miss Hardie held court from her high-backed, floral patterned chair by the fireplace. The girls had just enjoyed a large meal and Amelia was just beginning to feel the effects of the huge amount of food Miss Hardie had persuaded them to eat. The tiredness of the long day was starting to catch up on Amelia.

  "This parlor is so lovely, Miss Hardie," Bethany said glancing around the room.

  And, indeed it was. Amelia recognized some of the furniture from the school at Boston. Amelia saw the small table by the window. That was the same one she had sat at while having some of those special conversations with Miss Hardie. And there were the two paintings on the far wall. They were tastefully rendered landscapes of Maine countryside. Amelia wondered why Miss Hardie would have kept those paintings. Did she need some kind of memento of her life back in Maine? Was it a clue that, in spite of what she claimed, Miss Hardie really hankered after living back East?

  "I see you're looking at those paintings, Amelia," Miss Hardie said.

  "I was just recalling where I'd seen them before," Amelia explained.

  Miss Hardie smiled warmly. "I just didn't have the heart to leave them behind. It's good to have some reminder of what a place looks like. Especially when you have no intention of ever going back."

  Amelia looked at Miss Hardie. "Are you really sure about that?"

  "Of course I am, dear. There's no point in me going back there. There weren't enough new pupils for the school. It wouldn't have lasted more than another year or two. And in any case this is where I've always wanted to live."

  "Really? But, what about Boston society? Didn't you really like it there?"

  Miss Hardie shook her head. She lifted her chin and gazed out the window. The thoughtful expression on her face told Amelia that Miss Hardie was about to pronounce on something of great importance. After a pause she spoke. "Do you both recall how I used to talk about the importance of values?"

  Bethany and Amelia nodded in unison.

  "Then you'll remember that I used to tell you that there was more to life than manners and society and elegant social events," Miss Hardie said. "I tried to get you two girls, and all your close friends, to realize the importance of real values. Proper, authentic values."

  Miss Hardie sighed and then took a slow sip of her coffee. "I lived most of my life amongst the great and the good of Boston society. I tutored many girls like yourselves to become fine upstanding examples of refined young ladies. I prepared them for their life amongst their peers. I tried to make them the best young women they could possibly
be. I really tried."

  "And you did a fine job," Amelia insisted. She was surprised at the sudden melancholy which seemed to have overtaken Miss Hardie. She couldn't recall ever having seen her beloved mentor like this.

  "Thank you, my dear. That is most kind. But you know what I'm really trying to say."

  Amelia looked at Bethany and saw the concern written on her friend's face.

  Miss Hardie continued. "I need not go into the exact circumstances, but certain events in the last few years led me to believe that the kind of life I was preparing my young girls for was not appropriate."

  "In what way, Miss Hardie," Amelia asked eagerly.

  Miss Hardie smiled at Amelia as if impressed by the naivety of the question. "In many ways, Amelia. Too many to mention."

  Amelia took a rapid sip of her coffee. She didn't care that it would probably prevent her from sleeping later in the night. Right now she needed to understand what Miss Hardie could possibly be saying.

  As if needing to change the subject Miss Hardie asked a question. "How are your fellow classmates. Jennifer and Clara?"

  Amelia was almost taken aback by the sudden change of tack. "I do believe they are both well. I wrote to Jennifer telling her about our trip to Montana, but I haven't heard from her in reply."

  Miss Hardie nodded thoughtfully. "I'm pleased she is well. She always was a dear girl. Perhaps she will come out West as you two have," she said.

  "Oh, I haven't come out to stay, Miss Hardie," Amelia said quickly.

  Miss Hardie smiled at Amelia. "Of course you haven't, dear," she said. Amelia wondered if Miss Hardie did actually believe that it was Amelia's intention to leave once Bethany was wed.

  Didn't she understand that the last thing Amelia wanted was to end up staying in a town like Montana Falls? Nothing was going to change her mind about that.

  "But Miss Hardie, don't you miss the school? Don't you miss everything you used to do to educate your girls?"

  "Of course, I miss the day to day routine. It was wonderful. You were all wonderful to work with. But, there came a time when I felt I had to make a change. And that was why I closed the school a short time after you both left and decided to fulfil a dream I'd had for a very long time."